Ossoff Probes Energy Impact of AI Data Centers in Georgia
Senator questions whether companies’ pledges to pay their own way are credible and enforceable.
April 24, 2026 – Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is pressing federal regulators for answers on how the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence data centers could affect electricity costs for Georgia residents.
In a letter sent Monday to Laura Swett, chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Ossoff said his office is investigating whether growing energy demand from data centers could drive up utility bills statewide and across the country.
Georgia has seen more than $4.5 billion in AI-related investment since 2019 according to the letter, fueling a surge in computing infrastructure that requires large amounts of electricity. At the same time, Ossoff noted that many residents are already facing high power bills, raising concerns that new energy generation costs could be passed on to consumers.
The Senator asked FERC to evaluate whether technology companies’ pledges to “pay their own way” for energy usage and infrastructure are credible and enforceable.
The question comes as several major data center developers have signed onto the White House-backed Ratepayer Protection Pledge, committing to cover the costs of new power infrastructure tied to their projects rather than passing them on to ratepayers.
Ossoff further pointed to pending federal efforts to standardize interconnection procedures for large energy users, including data centers, asking how FERC plans to engage before an April 30 deadline.
The inquiry comes as Georgia lawmakers have struggled to address similar concerns at the state level.
Proposals to scale back or repeal tax incentives for data centers have largely stalled, and a bill aimed at protecting ratepayers from costs tied to data center development failed in the State Senate earlier this month.
Ossoff, who is up for reelection this year, said the issue requires closer scrutiny to ensure that economic growth driven by AI does not come at the expense of residential and small-business customers.
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