“飙升的电费”成为美国中选焦点，AI数据中心站上“政治火山口”

Core Viewpoint - Rising electricity costs have become a central issue in the U.S. political agenda, surpassing other types of inflation, particularly impacting utility bills ahead of the midterm elections [1][2]. Group 1: Electricity Cost Trends - U.S. electricity costs increased by 6.7% year-over-year in December, with a cumulative rise of approximately 38% since 2020, while overall consumer prices rose only 2.7% during the same period [2]. - In the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, utility bills have inflated by 29% over the past three years, significantly higher than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) [4]. Group 2: Political Implications - The issue of rising electricity costs has become a key topic in gubernatorial campaigns across 36 states, potentially influencing the outcomes of utility commission elections in nine states [2][6]. - Politicians from both parties are leveraging voter concerns about rising electricity prices, with specific focus on the impact of data centers on utility costs [1][3]. Group 3: Data Centers as a Target - Data centers are being blamed for a significant portion of the rising electricity costs, raising questions about cost allocation between residential consumers and large commercial clients [4]. - The Trump administration has engaged with state governors to address concerns about data centers driving up electricity prices, urging large tech companies to bear the costs of their energy consumption [1][4]. Group 4: Investment Strategies - Goldman Sachs has advised investors to hedge against the political risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on electricity costs, as policymakers express growing concerns about data center energy consumption [2][7]. - The firm has identified three preferred trading strategies, including going long on non-tech companies that improve productivity through AI and hedging against volatility related to AI politicalization [8].