They can, if costs are allocated poorly. But large customers are often billed under different tariffs and may directly pay for project-related infrastructure.
Homes usually pay based on monthly energy use, measured in kilowatt-hours. Residential rates often bundle many grid costs into a simple price.
Large customers may pay for both energy use and peak demand. They may also pay riders, interconnection costs, deposits, minimum bills, or special contract rates.
The amount of electricity used over time, usually measured in kilowatt-hours.
A charge based on the highest level of power used during a billing period.
Project-specific payments for substations, feeders, transformers, or other upgrades.
The core issue is not whether the data center uses electricity. It is whether its costs and benefits are assigned fairly.