AI demand and tariffs collide as U.S. electric bills soar

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As temperatures drop and golden leaves cover lawns throughout Canada and the northern United States, residents are starting to turn on the heat. Earlier this year, amid President Donald Trump’s trade war, it appeared that energy tariffs might be used as a weapon, potentially driving up electricity prices for U.S. and Canadian consumers alike.

Canadian energy prices have risen moderately, largely due to inflation and infrastructure upgrades. But with autumn in full swing and winter looming, Americans are being warned that electricity prices are set to soar, and not for the usual reasons like oil or natural gas spikes. Instead, a combination of factors — everything from weather and rising demand to climate change policies and tariffs — is contributing to the increases, an