Government Borrowing Costs Reach Highest Level Since 2001, Making Big Tech Projects Pricier

On August 13, 2026, the US government sold $25 billion in 30-year bonds paying 5.216% interest — the highest rate since 2001. When the government's borrowing cost rises, so does everyone else's. That means building AI data centers, power grid upgrades, and chip factories becomes more expensive, since these projects take decades to pay off.