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About this Episode
When Kurt Borchardt opened his latest electricity bill, he thought there was a mistake.
当库尔特·博查特（音译）收到最新一期电费账单时，他简直不敢相信自己的眼睛。
"Our electric bill doubled in one month. Almost a $3,000-$4,000 jump on a single bill," wrote Borchardt, co-owner of Artisanal Brew Works in Saratoga Springs, New York, describing the shock on social media.
"我们一个月的电费翻了一番。单张账单就涨了近三四千美元，"纽约萨拉托加斯普林斯市Artisanal Brew Works啤酒厂合伙人博查特（音译）在社交媒体上描述了当时的震惊。
The brewery had already endured a slow winter season, traditionally its weakest period. Then came what he said was a 133-percent increase in electricity prices. The company's National Grid bill has now become its second-largest expense after rent, squeezing margins at a time when customer traffic remains slow.
该啤酒厂刚熬过传统上最惨淡的冬季淡季。紧接着就遭遇了133%的电价涨幅。如今，国家电网公司的账单已成为该厂仅次于房租的第二大开支，在客流量持续低迷之际进一步挤压利润空间。
"When I saw that bill, I fell out of my chair," Borchardt told local television station WTEN. His frustration reflects a broader national trend.
"看到账单时，我惊得从椅子上站了起来，"博查特对当地电视台WTEN表示。他的无奈折射出美国正面临的全国性趋势。
Electricity prices in the United States are emerging as a new source of economic strain, raising concerns about inflation, industrial competitiveness and political risk, particularly after a colder-than-average winter drove up heating demand and tightened natural gas markets.
美国电价正成为新的经济压力源，引发对通胀、工业竞争力和政治风险的担忧——特别是在遭遇比往年更冷的冬季，取暖需求上升而天然气市场供应趋紧之后。
The most recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index report showed that overall inflation rose 2.4 percent in the past 12 months ending in January while electricity prices increased 6.3 percent. Though gasoline prices have fluctuated, electricity bills have continued to climb steadily, placing sustained pressure on both households and businesses.
美国劳工统计局最新消费者价格指数报告显示，过去12个月（截至1月）整体通胀上涨2.4%，而电价涨幅达6.3%。尽管汽油价格有所波动，电价却持续攀升，给家庭和企业带来持续压力。
One key factor behind the rise in electricity prices is surging power demand from data centers and artificial intelligence applications. As the US accelerates investment in AI infrastructure, electricity consumption from large-scale computing facilities has expanded rapidly, placing additional strain on an already aging power grid.
电价上涨的关键推手之一是数据中心和人工智能应用的电力需求激增。随着美国加速AI基础设施投资，大型计算设施的耗电量快速扩张，给本已老化的电网带来额外负担。
"Since electricity is a very inelastic good, these price increases will continue to put upward pressure on inflation," Aaron Pacitti, an economics professor at Siena University, told China Daily. "One of the main drivers of this increase is the rise in electricity demand from data centers and increased usage of AI."
"由于电力属于极度缺乏弹性的商品，这些涨价将持续推高通胀，"锡耶纳大学经济学教授亚伦·帕西蒂（音译）向《中国日报》表示，"主要驱动因素之一就是数据中心用电需求增长和AI使用量增加。"
According to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, data centers accounted for about 4.4 percent of total US electricity consumption in 2023. Depending on the pace of broader economic growth, that share is projected to rise to between 6.7 percent and 12 percent by 2028.
据劳伦斯伯克利国家实验室数据，2023年数据中心约占美国总用电量的4.4%。根据整体经济增长速度，预计到2028年这一比例将升至6.7%至12%。
Similar challenges are emerging in other major technology markets as governments seek to balance the rapid growth of artificial intelligence with the need for a reliable power supply.
随着各国政府寻求在AI快速发展与可靠电力供应之间取得平衡，其他主要科技市场也面临类似挑战。
In the United States, the surge in electricity demand is already beginning to show up in capacity markets.
在美国，电力需求激增已开始在容量市场中显现。
PJM's latest capacity auction for the 2027-28 delivery year fell 6,623 megawatts short of its reliability requirement, underscoring a growing imbalance between electricity supply and demand, according to a Dec 17 news release from the grid operator, which serves 13 states and the District of Columbia.
根据为13个州及哥伦比亚特区服务的电网运营商PJM去年12月17日发布的新闻稿，其最近一次2027-2028交付年度的容量拍卖较可靠性要求缺口达662.3万千瓦，凸显电力供需失衡加剧。
Capacity auctions are forward-looking markets in which grid operators secure commitments from power plants to ensure sufficient supply during future peak demand periods.
容量拍卖是电网运营商确保未来高峰用电期供应的前瞻性市场。
"But this auction leaves no doubt that data centers' demand for electricity continues to far outstrip new supply, and the solution will require concerted action involving PJM, its stakeholders, state and federal partners, and the data center industry itself," said Stu Bresler, executive vice-president of market services and strategy at PJM.
"但此次拍卖明确表明，数据中心的电力需求仍远超新增供应，解决方案需要PJM、利益相关方、州和联邦合作伙伴以及数据中心行业本身采取协同行动，"PJM市场服务与战略执行副总裁斯图·布莱斯勒（音译）表示。
Economists warn that persistently higher utility costs could weigh on overall economic momentum.
经济学家警告，持续高企的公用事业成本可能拖累整体经济动能。
Production costs
生产成本
For manufacturers, especially in energy-intensive sectors, higher electricity prices translate directly into rising production costs.
对制造商而言，尤其是在能源密集型行业，电价上涨直接转化为生产成本上升。
"Higher energy costs will act as a drag on growth and competitiveness for US firms and heighten the affordability issues facing US households," Pacitti said. "Since demand from data centers and AI is unlikely to subside anytime soon, these price increases will act as a modest headwind to growth."
"能源成本上升将拖累美国企业的增长和竞争力，加剧美国家庭的支付难题，"帕西蒂说，"由于数据中心和AI需求短期内不太可能减弱，这些涨价将成为增长的轻微阻力。"
Beyond demand growth, structural challenges are also contributing to the problem. In many parts of the country, utility companies purchase electricity through wholesale markets, and when demand rises faster than supply, prices increase for all consumers, according to Ari Peskoe, director of the Electricity Law Initiative at Harvard Law School.
哈佛大学法学院电力法律倡议主任阿里·佩斯科认为，除了需求增长，结构性挑战也在加剧问题。美国许多地区的公用事业公司通过批发市场购电，当需求增长快于供应时，所有消费者的电价都会上涨。
economic strain /ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk ˈstreɪn/经济压力
fluctuate /ˈflʌktʃueɪt/波动
inelastic good /ˌɪnɪˈlæstɪk ˈɡʊd/缺乏弹性的商品
capacity markets /kəˈpæsəti ˌmɑːkɪts/容量市场
capacity auction /kəˈpæsəti ˌɔːkʃən/容量拍卖
utility costs /juːˈtɪləti ˈkɒsts/公用事业成本
Hosts & Guests
No transcript available for this episode.
