Episode 14
Your Electricity Bill Could Jump 55% — Because of AI | Colorado Explained | AI on the Ballot
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Colorado has 56 data centers — and more are being built right now. The state’s own regulators project that by 2029, the average household’s electricity bill could be 55% higher than it is today. Artificial intelligence runs on electricity, a lot of it, and in Colorado the fight over who pays for it, who builds the infrastructure, and who writes the rules is already on the ballot.
In this explainer:
The energy fight — Why Xcel Energy projects data centers will drive two-thirds of all new electricity demand, how those costs land on ordinary households, and the proposed “large-load tariff” that could force big data centers to pay their own way.
The legislative fight — How two competing 2026 bills (one protecting consumers, one offering the tech industry decades of tax breaks) both died in committee — leaving Colorado with no statewide data center law at all.
The AI regulation fight — How Colorado passed America’s first comprehensive AI law (SB 205), then effectively dismantled it under a DOJ lawsuit, replacing it with a transparency-only rule (SB 189).
The governor’s race — Why the person elected in November will hold more power over these AI issues than almost anyone else in the state: appointing utility commissioners, signing or vetoing data center laws in 2027, and setting the tone on federal preemption.
