Data centers are spiking electricity costs in Maryland. It’s the ‘tip of the iceberg,’ one expert warns

Nike Carstarphen’s electricity bill is rising, even when she’s using less power.

The Baltimore resident’s electricity rate jumped 20% from August to September, even though she had cut her usage 40%, relying on her air conditioning less during a milder month.

She gets her power from Exelon-owned Baltimore Gas and Electric, whose prices jumped an additional $32 per month on average in September.

These higher costs are driven in large part by new neighbors in Northern Virginia: the world’s biggest cluster of nondescript, power-hungry data centers.

Data centers have powered the internet for years, but with the rise of artificial intelligence, they are projected to need eye-popping amounts of power, along with costly infrastructure upgrades to deliver it. A 2024 report by the US Departm