One economist's answer to data center anxiety
The Indicator from Planet Money

One economist's answer to data center anxiety

B2Upper-intermediateOctober 7, 20269 min
  • Interview
  • Business & money

Rising electricity prices are one of the primary reasons why data centers are a public enemy this election cycle. But is it realistic to expect energy prices to stay high forever? Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen No AI data centers in my backyard! Over 2,000 episodes in our archive on the NPR App Connect with The Indicator from Planet Money The Indicator newsletter — a weekly roundup of news, ideas and staff picks. Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Find the Planet Money book Find the Planet Money game, Sell...

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0:00

N.P.R. This is the indicator from Planet Money. I'm Ricky Mulvey. And I'm Adrian Ma.

0:10

It can feel rare these days to find a hot button political issue that unites Americans across the ideological spectrum. But AI data centers might be it. AI data centers, they're big and noisy and they guzzle energy. And in some cities around the country, they're putting a strain on local power grids.

0:28

No wonder in a recent Pew survey, 50% of Americans said they think data centers will be mostly bad for home energy bills. Yeah, and at a time when millions of Americans are seeing rising costs for utilities, and a whole lot more, this is just one more thing for them to worry about.

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