The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is out with a new editorial challenging the alarmist narratives surrounding data centers and highlights how the AI revolution will help lower utility costs for Arkansas families.

Citing a study from researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and The Brattle Group, between 2019 and 2024, states with significant increases in electricity demand often saw overall prices fall. This occurs because the largest costs in the electric system are fixed — maintaining poles, wires, and infrastructure. Higher demand from data centers allows these costs to be spread across more megawatt-hours, reducing the burden on residential customers.

Entergy Arkansas confirms this benefit. The utility states that millions of customers — regardless of whether they live near the projects — will benefit from data centers joining the grid through reduced bill impacts, strengthened infrastructure, and a smaller share of costs borne by families and small businesses. Large industrial customers like data centers contribute more toward grid maintenance, easing pressure on household rates.

“ The beauty of the plan is that we’re bringing in this customer growth, and it’s bringing in revenue that’s helping us offset the cost… That will help put downward pressure on rates,” said Laura Landreaux, President and CEO of Entergy Arkansas.

With Google campuses planned in West Memphis, Little Rock, and Conway — along with other projects — Arkansas has an opportunity to harness economic growth while delivering tangible relief to families through more stable or lower electricity bills.

Read the full column by Rex Nelson: Countering the alarmists on Arkansas data centers