Questions people ask about data centers

Will a data center raise my power bill?

We cannot isolate the actual effect on household bills in most states. Virginia has published a modeled estimate of $14 to $37 more a month by 2040. Here is what public sources say:

• Texas: Gov. Greg Abbott directed the state utility regulator and grid operator to require data centers to cover the electric infrastructure needed to serve them. The directive seeks to protect households from those costs. Its effect on home electricity bills has not been established yet (Office of the Texas Governor, Jun 10, 2026). ERCOT is reviewing about 474 GW of requests to connect new demand, and about 90% of those requests are data centers (Office of the Texas Governor, Aug 3, 2026).
• Congress: the House voted 417 to 3 on Sep 16, 2026 for the Ratepayer Protection Act (H.R. 9340). It would require state utility regulators to consider a standard that makes data centers drawing 100 megawatts or more pay the full cost of grid upgrades built to serve them. It would not set that rule itself (House Clerk, Roll Call 312). In the Senate, a procedural vote on Sep 30, 2026 to begin debate got 57 votes, short of the 60 needed. It was not a vote on final passage and the bill has not become law (Congress.gov, H.R. 9340 actions).
• Virginia: the state legislature's audit agency found that data centers pay their full cost of service under current rates. It also estimated that a typical Dominion Energy household could see generation and transmission costs rise by $14 to $37 a month by 2040 in real dollars, mostly because of data center demand (JLARC, Data Centers in Virginia, Dec 9, 2024).
• Other states: we have not yet verified a comparable state-specific estimate. Send us a rate case or tariff filing and we will add it once we can link it.

Read what officials said and how they voted · Costs and the grid

How many jobs does a data center bring?

Two different numbers. Construction jobs peak while a site is built. Permanent jobs stay after it opens. We show them side by side and never add them together.

Of 3,827 tracked projects (cancelled projects excluded), 50 have a sourced peak construction figure and 266 have a sourced permanent figure. Of those 266, 2 are reported as actual and 264 are committed, forecast or company-reported, the same split as the home page. Sites with both:

Jobs hub · Who does the work · Every site with a sourced job figure

How much water do they use?

Few sites publish it. 1 of 3,827 tracked projects have a published water figure in our sources. For other sites we have not yet linked a figure, which does not mean none is published.

• Google Lea County Data Center: About 42,000 gallons a day in operation after a one-time 9.6 million gallon fill (developer estimate). Lea County Board of County Commissioners (meeting packet)

Do data centers get tax breaks?

Many do. We have 58 sourced tax incentive records so far, from state and local filings.

• AWS New Carlisle: 50-year state sales tax exemption on eligible equipment, plus up to $18.3 million in headcount tax credits, $5 million in training grants, $55 million in investment tax credits and $20 million in redevelopment tax credits. Indiana Economic Development Corporation
• Barber Lake: Mitchell County 10-year abatement: 0% in years 1 and 2, then 100% of value abated in years 3 to 10 (signed Dec 15, 2025). Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
• Statewide: Ohio's data center equipment sales tax exemption: $141.8 million forgone in FY 2026 and $148.0 million in FY 2027 (state estimate). Ohio Department of Taxation
• Digital Realty ORD12: State and local sales tax exemption for up to 20 years, estimated value $25.3 million (state estimate). Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
• NTT Chicago CH1 Data Center: State and local sales tax exemption for up to 20 years, estimated value $17.2 million (state estimate). Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
• Microsoft Elk Grove Data Center: State and local sales tax exemption for up to 20 years, estimated value $15.8 million (state estimate). Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
• Microsoft Northlake Data Center: State and local sales tax exemption for up to 20 years, estimated value $24.3 million (state estimate). Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
• Microsoft Hoffman Estates Data Center: State and local sales tax exemption for up to 20 years, estimated value $17.2 million (state estimate). Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

Is there a data center near me?

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