Rep. Patrick McHenry stated that data centers have not yet caused significant increases in electricity prices, despite growing public backlash against their expansion. Speaking with Austin Campbell, Rama Ramachandran, and Perkins Coie partner Chris Perkins, McHenry attributed the unpopularity of data centers to broader inflation concerns rather than direct utility cost impacts. The House Financial Services Committee ranking member noted that negative sentiment toward data center growth is largely fueled by fears that AI labs will displace jobs, creating anxiety among workers across multiple industries. This perception has made large-scale AI infrastructure projects politically contentious even before measurable effects on consumer energy bills have materialized.