President Donald Trump‘s Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum appeared on Fox News to address the rising cost of electricity for Americans, many of whom blame the proliferation of A.I. data centers (which consume enormous amounts of power) for their higher electric bills.
(Note: According to the Department of Energy, electricity use at U.S. data centers could triple by 2028, and could potentially account for 12 percent of total national electricity consumption.)
Burgum said: “News flash, there is no correlation between data centers growing in states and higher electric prices. In fact in many states it’s actually the opposite.” He added, “States like Texas, who’ve gathered over a hundred data centers in the last five years have seen electric prices go down.”
Sharing the Fox News clip, Burgum wrote: “High electricity prices have nothing to do with artificial intelligence and EVERYTHING to do with unaffordable, unreliable and intermittent green energy!”
High electricity prices have nothing to do with artificial intelligence and EVERYTHING to do with unaffordable, unreliable and intermittent green energy! pic.twitter.com/i5sU1tnv4r
— Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) December 9, 2025
Texas is an interesting example for Burgum to cite, as Texas leads the nation in the production of renewable — or “green” — energy. According to a recent Guardian story on Texas energy: “This year, a third of all new renewable and storage projects in the US will be built in the Lone Star state.”
Joshua Rhodes, an energy expert at the University of Texas, told the outlet: “We are still firmly an oil and gas state and producing more than we ever have but that’s not the full picture.” Rhodes added: “We have more wind than the next four states combined and regularly have more than 50% of our grid running on renewables. We are an energy state.”
Doug Lewin, president of the Texas company Stoic Energy, editor of the Texas Energy & Power Newsletter and host of ‘Energy Capital Podcast,’ shared info on Wednesday that contradicted Burgum’s claim: “The Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute is out with a new study on power prices. Texas rates are below the national average but rising faster than the average: 30% over the last five years, with nearly another 30% expected increase over the next five.”
Note: Lewin worked at the Texas Legislature for five years as a legislative aide, primarily on energy, environment, and climate issues for three different elected officials in the House and Senate. As the Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute’s new study suggests, the reasons for higher electricity bills are complicated.
The Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute is out with a new study on power prices. Texas rates are below the national average but rising faster than the average: 30% over the last five years, with nearly another 30% expected increase over the next five. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/2NT6qhYI01
— Doug Lewin (@douglewinenergy) December 10, 2025