Bill Gates has told the AI industry it does not have permission to drive up household electricity bills, warning Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft that the old utility-funded grid model is finished. Speaking on CNBC, the Microsoft co-founder said hyperscalers must now pick data centre sites where the economics and politics hold. With 48 projects worth $156 billion already blocked in 2025 and public opposition at record highs, the buildout is colliding with sentiment.