Four questions that must stay separate
1. Who pays current service costs?
Tariff demand charges, minimum bills, connection contributions and special contracts determine whether a large load pays the cost to serve it today.
2. Who pays new system costs?
New generation, transmission and distribution assets can outlive or exceed one customer’s commitment. Exit fees and minimum terms address stranded-cost risk.
3. Does system expansion change all bills?
Even when a data center pays its allocated share, system-wide fuel, capacity and construction costs can change. Attribution requires a counterfactual, not a headline.
4. Can the load help?
Demand response, customer-provided capacity and flexible operation can reduce peak obligations. The value depends on enforceable performance and transparent reporting.
What the public record shows
Virginia’s JLARC reported in December 2024 that data centers were paying their full current cost of service under then-current rate structures. It also projected immense demand growth and recommended planning for stranded infrastructure costs that could fall on existing customers.
Indiana’s 2026 order for Google’s Fort Wayne facility illustrates the details that broad claims miss. The order says Google will transfer accredited capacity, participate in customized demand response and bear specified shortfall and performance risks. It also records objections that redactions prevented full public calculation of costs and benefits, and it requires reporting through the utility’s resource-adequacy rider. Some supporting workpapers may remain confidential, so future filings may not fully resolve the public evidence gap.