Electricity costs for U.S. manufacturers in the Rust Belt are climbing sharply as data centers strain the PJM Interconnection grid, squeezing profit margins for steelmakers and brick factories.
For example, Belden Brick Company in Ohio saw its monthly capacity charge jump from $1,600 to $12,000. The Steel Manufacturers Association warns that member companies are paying tens of millions more annually for power, which accounts for 20 to 40 percent of steel production costs.
This cost pressure threatens President Trump's "Made in America" plan even as his administration champions the tech firms driving the AI data-center boom.
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