Story perspectives

States Pause AI Data Centers Over Rising Power Costs

6/14/2026

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Summary

Story summary

A Reuters/Ipsos poll (June 11) found one-third of Americans support AI-driven data-center growth and 77 % fear higher electricity bills, prompting officials in Kentucky, Oklahoma and Indiana to review or halt projects over power-cost concerns.
Lexington city council voted to pause permits through October after resident objections to a 1.6-million-sq-ft facility, while Oklahoma lawmakers passed the Ratepayer Protection Act requiring operators to fund upgrades and give 60-day notice before land purchases.

History

Historical Context

The 2000-2001 California electricity crisis, driven by Enron’s market manipulation and rolling blackouts, led Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign the 2005 Power Crisis Act capping utility rates at $0.12 per kilowatt-hour for Pacific Gas & Electric. Today, AI-driven data-center projects in Kentucky, Oklahoma and Indiana invoke those caps to avoid similar consumer backlash, shaping new regional energy-policy debates.

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Story summary

A Reuters/Ipsos poll (June 11) found one-third of Americans support AI-driven data-center growth and 77 % fear higher electricity bills, prompting officials in Kentucky, Oklahoma and Indiana to review or halt projects over power-cost concerns.
Lexington city council voted to pause permits through October after resident objections to a 1.6-million-sq-ft facility, while Oklahoma lawmakers passed the Ratepayer Protection Act requiring operators to fund upgrades and give 60-day notice before land purchases.

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