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   OpenAI promises to keep Stargate data center costs down - so your utility   
   bills shouldn't go sky high...probably   
      
   Date:   
   Sun, 25 Jan 2026 18:15:00 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   OpenAIs Stargate plan funds local energy infrastructure to prevent    
   electricity bill spikes while supporting large-scale AI tools.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   OpenAI has unveiled a plan aimed at limiting the impact of its Stargate data   
   centers on local electricity costs.    
      
   The new guidelines will see each site will operate under a community plan   
   developed with input from residents and regulators.    
      
   This approach includes funding new power and storage infrastructure directly   
   or investing in energy generation and transmission resources as needed.   
   Electricity investments aim to ease local energy strain    
      
   The goal is to ensure that local utility bills do not rise due to the   
   operations of these large-scale data centers.    
      
   The Stargate initiative is a $500 billion, multi-year program to build AI    
   data centers across the United States to support both AI training and   
   inference workloads and handle some of the most demanding computational tasks   
   in the industry.    
      
   OpenAIs efforts mirror moves by other technology firms, such as Microsoft,   
   which recently announced measures to reduce water usage and limit electricity   
   cost impacts at its own data centers.    
      
   By funding energy infrastructure and working closely with local utilities,   
   these companies aim to prevent added financial burdens on surrounding   
   communities.    
      
   Each Stargate site will have a tailored plan that reflects the specific    
   energy requirements of its location. This could involve funding the   
   installation of additional energy storage systems or expanding local   
   generation capacity.  OpenAI claims it will fully cover energy costs   
   resulting from its operations rather than passing them on to residents or   
   businesses.   
      
   Cloud hosting and web hosting at these sites should benefit from predictable   
   operating costs, while AI tools can run at scale without disrupting local   
   infrastructure.    
      
   Reports indicate AI-driven data centers could nearly triple electricity    
   demand in the United States by 2035, placing strain on regional power grids   
   and pushing utility bills higher for consumers.    
      
   US lawmakers have criticized tech companies for relying on public utilities   
   while residential and small business customers absorb the cost of grid   
   upgrades.    
      
   Volatile demand from AI workloads, such as running large language models or   
   other cloud-based AI services, further complicates energy planning.    
   Without proactive investment, electricity costs could rise sharply in regions   
   that host multiple data centers.    
      
   OpenAIs community plan also reflects the growing challenge of energy access   
   for AI development.  Large-scale AI tools consume far more power than typical   
   cloud services or web hosting workloads, making infrastructure planning   
   essential.   
      
   By directly funding energy improvements and coordinating with local    
   utilities, OpenAI aims to reduce risks to both the power grid and nearby   
   communities.    
      
   Via Bloomberg    
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/pro/openai-promises-to-keep-stargate-data-center-cos   
   ts-down-so-your-utility-bills-dont-go-sky-high   
      
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