Georgia Power Customer Bills Increase To $225

Georgia Power, the largest energy provider in the state, has implemented six electricity rate increases. The average monthly bill for a typical customer has risen from $150 to $225. Advocacy group Georgians for Affordable Energy has been monitoring these costs for over a decade. The increase follows a CBS News analysis of the provider's pricing structure. New data indicates commercial data centers will more than double energy consumption in Georgia over the next five years. This growth is expected to add billions of dollars to electricity rate costs for residents. Americans living near data centers in 13 states have seen energy costs rise by as much as 267% compared to five years ago. Residential customers will bear the cost of this expansion. Residents are facing cost increases due to the large-scale energy demands of these facilities. Some local residents expressed concerns that the cost of this growth may force them to leave their homes. Previously, the average bill was approximately $150 per month.