The energy industry is expecting a large uptick in electricity consumption because of the growing use of power-hungry artificial intelligence systems, and lawmakers are looking for ways to prevent the cost burden from hitting ordinary consumers.

The expanding use of AI is driving up the electricity demand from massive data centers around the country, which house the computer servers needed to process, store and share information, according to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“According to the Department of Energy, electricity consumption in the United States grew by about 0.5 percent per year in the last decade; however, estimates show annual growth of 5 to 6 percent through the end of the decade, a tenfold increase from current levels,” the committee said in a memo. “Much of this growth is expected to come from data centers and the increasing use of AI.”

---

---

The spike in electricity usage could be especially painful in certain states.

Rep. Jeff Duncan, South Carolina Republican, said Tuesday that some parts of the country may see electricity demand grow as much as 20%.

Northern Virginia is projected to increase power demand from 2,500 megawatts in 2020 to more than 8,000 megawatts by 2028, according to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

Ms. Rodgers, Washington Republican, said in a statement on Tuesday that utility companies in Georgia have already changed their plans to “reflect a jump from 400 megawatts of future demand to 6,600 megawatts.”

Mr. Duncan, who leads the panel’s energy and grid subcommittee, said Congress needs to ensure consumers do not get hit with higher utility bills as the country builds out new infrastructure to accommodate an AI overhaul.

“Despite the many benefits of data centers, we must make sure that costs for electric infrastructure are paid by those customers causing the costs,” Mr. Duncan said at a hearing on Tuesday. “They should not be disproportionately spread to residential ratepayers and other captive customers.”

But that will prove challenging: In search of more power, AI makers are already looking abroad for the best deal to build infrastructure to power AI.

For example, OpenAI executive Sam Altman has reportedly talked with investors in the United Arab Emirates for an AI project costing as much as $7 trillion.

Mr. Altman’s pricey endeavor would involve working with power providers to build chip foundries that the AI industry relies upon, the Wall Street Journal reported in February.

After a trip to the Middle East in search of the funding needed for his AI vision, Mr. Altman visited Capitol Hill in April. He told CNBC he met with Sen. Todd Young, Indiana Republican, and the two discussed chips, energy and other things needed to deliver AI services worldwide.

National security concerns abound surrounding the supply chain for AI products and American officials are scrambling to build up their business acumen.

As the global AI race heats up, U.S. consumers are at risk of shouldering higher utility bills if the country is to attract top AI companies and provide them with a business-friendly environment.

Some lawmakers appear eager to strike a balance.


Ms. Rodgers said ensuring more innovation and a prosperous future for every American will require states and regulators to receive the resources needed to provide affordable energy to families.

“If we fail, China will control our future. We cannot let that happen,” Ms. Rodgers said. “In order to beat China, we need to unleash American energy, not restrict it.”