US Rust Belt manufacturers face soaring electricity costs as AI data centers strain power grid

The post reports that US manufacturers in Rust Belt cities and towns are paying significantly higher electricity costs due to growing energy demand from data centers, which is straining the largest power grid operator in the United States. This is squeezing profit margins for steelmakers and brick factories, potentially undermining President Donald Trump's 'Made in America' plan to revive US manufacturing. The situation is ironic as Trump has simultaneously championed the tech companies behind the AI data center boom.