Jan. 16, 2026
By Bruce Bartlett
Staff Writer
Electricity costs are rising across the Garden State, and, according to some experts, artificial intelligence is partially to blame.
In 2019, electricity costs in New York City and Northern New Jersey were 19.4 cents per kilowatt-hour. However, in 2025, the average per-kilowatt-hour price of electricity was 21 cents, an increase of about 8% from 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Biology teacher and Environmental Club advisor Ms. Manzella said that AI has a significant impact on the environment due to its resource consumption.
“Generative AI, [which creates new content], affects the environment mostly through its energy and water demands. First, it has a high energy demand, and the energy is often generated by fossil fuels. Burning of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change,” Manzella said. “Second, [AI] data centers require a lot of water to keep the system cool.”
Manzella said AI is everywhere, and even if people are not intending to use it, they often do.
“I don’t seek out using AI [consistently], but when I do, I use it as a tool to help with modifying lessons and differentiating classroom resources,” Manzella said. “However, I definitely use AI more than I intentionally seek out, as it is now embedded in most technology, including search engines, my smartphone and even my car.”
According to Kanoppi, a WordPress extension that measures websites’ carbon footprints, AI search engines use about 10 times as much energy as a traditional Google search.
“When AI first became mainstream, I figured it would have an environmental impact due to its energy use,” Manzella said. “However, I was surprised by just how much more energy is used with AI searches compared to traditional internet searches.”
Sophomore Arianna Sinchi said the topic of rising electricity costs frequently comes up in conversations at home, especially when her family reviews its monthly bills.
“I overhear my father talking about it a lot, like he’ll tell me, ‘Geez, the bills are going up,’” Sinchi said. “My dad feels frustrated about rising energy costs because everything is getting more expensive. He is more conscientious about energy use, and he tries to save energy by turning off lights and lowering the heat.”
Sinchi said AI plays a major role in her daily routine, particularly when it comes to schoolwork. She said she relies on AI tools to help improve her writing and complete assignments more efficiently.
“If I feel like a sentence isn’t written properly, I’ll go to AI and be like, ‘Hey, make it sound smoother,’” Sinchi said. “Besides improving my sentences, I use AI to help explain difficult topics, study for tests, summarize readings and check my understanding of assignments.”
“AI has just become part of our lives in so many ways that we don’t even realize we’re using it or that it’s how we’re getting our information a lot of times.”
Despite her frequent use of AI, Sinchi said she would consider reducing her use of AI to lower her family’s electricity bills.
“Saving money is more important to me because it can be used for future goals like college. I could still complete my schoolwork by using other resources, such as textbooks or the general internet,” Sinchi said.
Business and technology teacher Mrs. Huntington said AI is ubiquitous, so it would be tough to forgo it.
“AI has just become part of our lives in so many ways that we don’t even realize we’re using it or that it’s how we’re getting our information a lot of times,” Huntington said. “Social media is all AI. Google is all AI. So, I think it would be hard to [give it up].”
Huntington said the power grid is struggling to keep up with AI.
“The grid can only support so much. It’s not an easy thing to change as quickly as AI is growing,” Huntington said.
She said the public lacks awareness about AI and its effects on the environment.
“I don’t think people ask questions about it. I don’t think most people are concerned about it,” Huntington said. “I think most people are just concerned with their next social media post and what’s happening on TikTok.”
Huntington said people need to think critically about the consequences of AI, asking themselves, “How is this impacting the world we live in and our environment?”
