Electricity Bills Surge in these states, Data Centers May Fuel Further Spikes

By Sam Stebbins  •  March 11, 2026
Electricians in safety gear working on power lines in bright daylight. Energy industry focus.
Photo by Chris F on Pexels

In the United States, electricity has become markedly more expensive in recent years. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, electricity prices climbed by an average of 7.1% between December 2024 and December 2025. For the average American household consuming about 10,500 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, such an increase means a more-than $100 increase in annual electricity expenses.

There are many regional factors that can impact consumer electricity costs,and in some parts of the country, electricity prices are climbing far faster than average. For example, in California, where wildfires have damaged electricity infrastructure, repair costs have fallen to consumers who have seen near nation-leading increases in their utility bills. Conversely, Nevada and North Dakota have greatly expanded wind and solar energy production capacity, and partially as a result, they are among a small handful of states where electricity prices have either fallen or remained relatively flat in the last year.

Going forward, the boom in AI data center construction may also drive up the cost of electricity. According to The New York Times, data centers can be built faster than power plants, and a recent report from the American Edge Project shows that nearly 2,800 new data centers have been announced or are currently being built across the United States. Notably, a single data center can use as much electricity as tens of thousands of households. 

Using data from the EIA, Climate Crisis 247 identified the states where electricity prices are rising the fastest. States are ranked on the relative increase of the average cost of a kilowatt-hour of electricity between December 2024 and December 2025. Estimated annual electricity costs for a single-family home were calculated based on average household electricity use by region and kilowatt-hour costs by state, as reported by the EIA. Supplemental figures on existing or planned AI data centers by state are as reported by Business Insider, and electricity usage of these facilities were calculated using BI estimates and EIA data on average annual electricity usage of a typical American household. Only the 10 states with the largest relative increase in electricity prices by kilowatt-hour rank on this list. 

Among these states, the average price of a kilowatt-hour of electricity increased by anywhere from 10.7% to nearly 19% in the last year. While these increases are nominally measured in pennies, the additional expenses add up over the course of a year, driving estimated annual electricity bills up by over $300 in several states. 

Half of the states on this list are in the Northeast, a region that relies heavily on natural gas, despite limited distribution pipelines. According to the EIA, natural gas prices spiked by over 40% between December 2024 and December 2025.

10. New York

  • 1-year change in avg. electricity prices: +10.7%
  • 1-year change in avg. annual electric bill: +$225 for a single-family home
  • Avg. electricity cost per kilowatt-hour: $0.22 in Dec. 2025: $0.20 in Dec. 2024
  • Estimated annual electricity bill for a single-family home: $2,324 in 2025; $2,100 in 2024
  • Number of known existing or planned data centers in state: 20
  • Data center energy usage: 89,083 – 142,530 MWh per year (enough to power up to 13,574 households annually)

9. Indiana

  • 1-year change in avg. electricity prices: +11.1%
  • 1-year change in avg. annual electric bill: +$136 for a single-family home
  • Avg. electricity cost per kilowatt-hour: $0.13 in Dec. 2025: $0.11 in Dec. 2024
  • Estimated annual electricity bill for a single-family home: $1,353 in 2025; $1,217 in 2024
  • Number of known existing or planned data centers in state: 9
  • Data center energy usage: 253,646 – 405,833 MWh per year (enough to power up to 38,651 households annually)

8. California

  • 1-year change in avg. electricity prices: +12.2%
  • 1-year change in avg. annual electric bill: +$316 for a single-family home
  • Avg. electricity cost per kilowatt-hour: $0.28 in Dec. 2025: $0.25 in Dec. 2024
  • Estimated annual electricity bill for a single-family home: $2,911 in 2025; $2,595 in 2024
  • Number of known existing or planned data centers in state: 289
  • Data center energy usage: 597,850 – 956,527 MWh per year (enough to power up to 91,098 households annually)

7. Washington

  • 1-year change in avg. electricity prices: +12.2%
  • 1-year change in avg. annual electric bill: +$129 for a single-family home
  • Avg. electricity cost per kilowatt-hour: $0.11 in Dec. 2025: $0.10 in Dec. 2024
  • Estimated annual electricity bill for a single-family home: $1,184 in 2025; $1,055 in 2024
  • Number of known existing or planned data centers in state: 15
  • Data center energy usage: 285,535 – 456,855 MWh per year (enough to power up to 43,510 households annually)
a rack of servers in a server room
Photo by Kevin Ache on Unsplash

6. Maryland

  • 1-year change in avg. electricity prices: +13.0%
  • 1-year change in avg. annual electric bill: +$321 for a single-family home
  • Avg. electricity cost per kilowatt-hour: $0.18 in Dec. 2025: $0.16 in Dec. 2024
  • Estimated annual electricity bill for a single-family home: $2,797 in 2025; $2,476 in 2024
  • Number of known existing or planned data centers in state: 19
  • Data center energy usage: 83,724 – 133,955 MWh per year (enough to power up to 12,758 households annually)

5. Ohio

  • 1-year change in avg. electricity prices: +14.4%
  • 1-year change in avg. annual electric bill: +$180 for a single-family home
  • Avg. electricity cost per kilowatt-hour: $0.13 in Dec. 2025: $0.12 in Dec. 2024
  • Estimated annual electricity bill for a single-family home: $1,423 in 2025; $1,243 in 2024
  • Number of known existing or planned data centers in state: 24
  • Data center energy usage: 426,699 – 682,711 MWh per year (enough to power up to 65,020 households annually)

4. Maine

  • 1-year change in avg. electricity prices: +15.0%
  • 1-year change in avg. annual electric bill: +$339 for a single-family home
  • Avg. electricity cost per kilowatt-hour: $0.25 in Dec. 2025: $0.21 in Dec. 2024
  • Estimated annual electricity bill for a single-family home: $2,604 in 2025; $2,265 in 2024
  • Number of known existing or planned data centers in state: 2
  • Data center energy usage: 625 – 1,000 MWh per year (enough to power up to 95 households annually)

3. New Jersey

  • 1-year change in avg. electricity prices: +15.7%
  • 1-year change in avg. annual electric bill: +$270 for a single-family home
  • Avg. electricity cost per kilowatt-hour: $0.19 in Dec. 2025: $0.16 in Dec. 2024
  • Estimated annual electricity bill for a single-family home: $1,987 in 2025; $1,717 in 2024
  • Number of known existing or planned data centers in state: 59
  • Data center energy usage: 213,236 – 341,162 MWh per year (enough to power up to 32,492 households annually)

2. Rhode Island

  • 1-year change in avg. electricity prices: +16.3%
  • 1-year change in avg. annual electric bill: +$417 for a single-family home
  • Avg. electricity cost per kilowatt-hour: $0.28 in Dec. 2025: $0.24 in Dec. 2024
  • Estimated annual electricity bill for a single-family home: $2,969 in 2025; $2,552 in 2024
  • Number of known existing or planned data centers in state: 0
  • Data center energy usage: N/A

1. Pennsylvania

  • 1-year change in avg. electricity prices: +18.9%
  • 1-year change in avg. annual electric bill: +$259 for a single-family home
  • Avg. electricity cost per kilowatt-hour: $0.15 in Dec. 2025: $0.13 in Dec. 2024
  • Estimated annual electricity bill for a single-family home: $1,625 in 2025; $1,366 in 2024
  • Number of known existing or planned data centers in state: 14
  • Data center energy usage: 74,708 – 119,530 MWh per year (enough to power up to 11,384 households annually)


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