Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic said Wednesday it will shoulder the full cost of electricity price increases linked to its growing network of U.S. data centers, pledging that households won’t be left paying for AI’s expanding energy footprint.
“We will pay for 100% of the grid upgrades needed to interconnect our data centers,” the company wrote in a blog post, adding that it will absorb expenses that might otherwise be passed along to ratepayers.
The commitment comes as artificial intelligence infrastructure drives surging power demand across the country.
Securing Supply, Limiting Grid Strain
Beyond covering interconnection expenses, Anthropic said it plans to procure additional electricity generation to avoid tightening local supply and inflating prices. The company also intends to deploy grid optimization tools to ease peak demand and maintain stable rates.
“The country needs to build new data centers quickly to maintain its competitiveness on AI and national security,” Anthropic wrote. “But AI companies shouldn’t leave American ratepayers to pick up the tab.”
$50 Billion US Infrastructure Push Underway
The announcement follows Anthropic’s earlier commitment to invest $50 billion in U.S. AI infrastructure, beginning with new data centers in Texas and New York.
The buildout reflects a broader industry sprint to expand computing capacity as demand for generative AI services accelerates.
Anthropic is not alone in ramping up investment. Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) said in November it would commit $600 billion in the U.S. to advance AI technology, infrastructure, and workforce initiatives. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) said in August it would boost its domestic infrastructure spending by another $100 billion, bringing its total to $600 billion.
The scale of these commitments has intensified debate over who bears the cost of powering the AI boom.
Utility Rate Hikes Spark Political Pressure
Meanwhile, electric and gas utilities sought $31 billion in rate increases from state regulators last year, more than double the $15 billion requested the prior year, according to a recent study from nonprofit PowerLines. Utilities frequently cite rising electricity demand from data centers as a primary driver.
President Donald Trump has publicly urged technology companies to ensure their facilities do not translate into higher monthly bills for consumers.
Last month, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) said it would structure its utility payments to fully account for the energy impact of its data centers and mitigate effects on surrounding communities.
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