Folks used to talk about clouds bringing rain. These days, the clouds that roll into towns don’t drop water, they gulp it, and they plug into the power grid like a thirsty bull at a trough.

I’m talking about hyperscale data centers, the shiny cathedrals of the digital age where artificial intelligence, streaming video, and every picture of your cousin’s dog are stored. Politicians love to brag when one sets up shop nearby. They call it “economic development” and “the future.” But once the ribbon’s cut and the photo ops fade, locals start noticing that the future has a hefty electric bill.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently pointed out that in areas hosting these massive data centers, electricity rates increased by “more than 250%.” That figure might vary from place to place, but there’

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