Data centers are straining the largest U.S. power grid operator, PJM Interconnection, causing electricity costs to rise significantly faster for Rust Belt manufacturers than for other business or residential customers.
For example, Belden Brick Company in Ohio saw its monthly electricity bill jump from $1,600 to $12,000 due to higher capacity charges. The Steel Manufacturers Association warns that steelmakers in the region are paying tens of millions of dollars more per year, with electricity accounting for 20 to 40 percent of total production costs.
These higher costs are squeezing profit margins and could undermine President Trump's goal of reviving U.S. manufacturing, even as he champions the tech companies driving the AI data center boom.
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