The AI-Driven Rise in Power Bills Are Causing a $25 Billion Problem for Utility Stocks

In 2022, the U.S. utility industry had roughly $15 billion in unpaid bills it was trying to collect. By 2025, that number had hit $25 billion. The number of customers having their electricity shut off is rising, as well. This is happening at the same time as demand for electricity from artificial intelligence (AI) is rising dramatically. No wonder there's a pushback against AI data centers. Here's the problem for investors, and some possible investment solutions.Virginia is one of the world's most important data center markets. Dominion Energy (NYSE: D) operates in the state and highlights the demand growth it is seeing from AI as a catalyst for growth. Over a five-year period, electricity prices near data centers in Virginia rose by over 260%, Bloomberg reported in late 2025. That's a huge number that would make even the wealthiest of customers stop and take notice, let alone customers on tight budgets. Image source: Getty Images.Continue readingWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool