Power, Policy, and the Price of Progress – Part Three: When the Bill Comes Due

Power Policy and the Price of Progress: When the Bill Comes Due
As AI continues to reshape our economy, a quieter but critical challenge is building in the background: energy.

In the final installment of our investigative series Power, Policy, and the Price of Progress, we confront the rising tension between digital expansion and energy capacity. This chapter traces how hyperscale data centers—once seen as clean engines of innovation—are now placing unprecedented stress on our power grid.

We examine recent warnings from federal regulators, the rapid spike in electricity demand, and the hidden costs passed down to property owners and ratepayers alike. While the headlines boast about AI breakthroughs, we ask: Are we truly prepared to power this future—or are we borrowing against the stability of the present?

This story doesn’t rely on speculation—it’s grounded in federal testimony, international energy data, and a growing bipartisan concern that we may be building something too big, too fast, with too little accountability.