Data center's massive power consumption sparks controversy; Anthropic promises to cover the full cost of grid upgrade fees

American AI startup Anthropic announced that the company will bear the costs associated with rising electricity prices related to its data centers.

On Wednesday, February 11, Anthropic published a blog post stating, “As we continue to invest in AI infrastructure in the United States, Anthropic will bear the costs of electricity price increases faced by consumers due to our data centers.”

As U.S. tech companies compete to expand data center capacity, they are investing staggering amounts into AI infrastructure, and this construction boom is increasingly scrutinized due to rising electricity costs.

Anthropic explained that data centers drive up consumer electricity prices mainly in two ways: first, connecting data centers to the power grid often requires costly infrastructure upgrades, such as transmission lines or substations; second, increased demand intensifies market supply and demand tensions, pushing up prices.

Anthropic stated that the company commits to addressing these issues:

• Bearing the costs of grid infrastructure upgrades. All costs for upgrading the power grid necessary to connect data centers will be covered by us and paid through increased monthly electricity bills — including some costs that would otherwise be passed on to consumers.

• Procuring new power resources. We will strive to add new generation capacity to meet the electricity demands of our data centers. Until new power facilities are operational, we will work with utility companies and external experts to estimate and mitigate the impact of rising electricity prices caused by data center energy needs.

• Reducing grid pressure. We are investing in load shedding systems to reduce data center electricity consumption during peak periods, and also investing in grid optimization tools, both of which help lower user electricity bills.

• Investing in local communities. Our current data center projects will create hundreds of permanent jobs and thousands of construction jobs. We are also committed to being responsible neighbors — addressing environmental impacts, including deploying water-saving cooling technologies, and collaborating with local communities to broadly share the benefits of AI.

Earlier in the day, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei added in an interview, “The cost of powering our models should be borne by Anthropic, not by ordinary Americans.”

Founded in 2021, Anthropic’s founding team mostly comes from OpenAI; Amodei previously served as Vice President of Research at OpenAI. The company emphasizes deploying AI technology in a “safe, controllable, and responsible” manner.

Last year, Anthropic announced a $50 billion investment in AI infrastructure in the United States. Amodei added, “Building AI responsibly is not just about technology; it must extend to the infrastructure that supports it.”

Earlier this month, President Trump stated on social media, “I never want Americans to pay higher electricity bills because of data centers,” and called on large tech companies to be responsible to the American people.

Microsoft quickly responded with a similar measure, stating it would pay electricity rates sufficient to cover the costs of powering its data centers, aiming to reduce the impact of data center expansion on surrounding residents.

(Source: Cailian Press)