Artificial intelligence is reinventing how we work, surf the internet, and problem-solve.

But a new Tennessee consumer watchdog group cautions that using too much AI could do more harm than good.

Tennessee Utility Consumers Alliance (TUCA) is the watchdog group aiming to protect ratepayers against rising utility rates. They are concerned that AI is putting a strain on our power grid.

"Data centers use a lot of power from nearby resources," said Issac Freeman.

Issac Freeman, the Memphis native behind the grassroots organization, says low-income families have the most to lose.

"Those that make $50,000 or less, they have to think about whether they're going to pay for food, or they're going to pay for their utility bill," Freeman said.

Roughly 170,000 low-income Tennessee households whose incomes are below 50% of the Federal Poverty Level pay almost a third of their annual income on home energy bills, according to Think Tennessee. That's significantly higher than the 6% of household income that is considered affordable. The Tennessee counties with a home energy burden of at least 34% are Bledsoe, Pickett, Grundy, Stewart, Johnson, Wayne, and Moore County.

While particularly burdensome for struggling families, this isn't just a low-income issue. Everyone is affected when rates go up.

TUCA is asking for more transparency from federal utilities like the Tennessee Valley Authority, which supplies power to most of Tennessee through local providers like NES.

"Utility companies like TVA and local distributors [should] find new innovative ways to build better power grids for us to benefit from without having to bear the cost," Freeman said.

A sharp uptick in power demand recently is in part driven by facilities like Elon Musk's xAI facility in Memphis.

"They're using a lot of resources in that area for a supercomputer. In order to power the supercomputer to keep cool, the water is being pulled from the aquifer in that city," Freeman said.

AI industry leaders say rising electricity costs arent just because of AI. They blame old and inefficient power grids, too.

Still, Freeman, who's part of a generation typically enthusiastic about AI, compares using it to running water, something you shouldn't leave on without thinking.

"If we're all leaving that water on for an extended period of time, there's a cost to that. And so you really want to be mindful of the cost, even if it is a necessity," Freeman said.

Is your household or small business struggling to keep up with higher utility bills? Let me know in an email at hannah.mcdonald@newschannel5.com.

Maury County's animal shelter had an empty adoption floor for the first time ever.

We are so happy to tell you after a story about fostering animals over the holidays.

But there's still more work to do.

That was surreal. Our kennels are usually really loud, said Kim Raffauf, director of Maury County Animal Services. To walk through there and have dead silence was just amazing.

What they called Operation Silent Night was a success. For the first time ever, all the animals under Maury County Animal Service's care were in the care of loving families for the holidays.

Its the first time in history. We were really excited about that, said Raffauf.

Raffauf said 30 animals were sent to foster or adoption homes for a holiday respite.

But it was a silence, short-lived.

Were pretty full. Well, were always full, said Raffauf. We are a community that has grown so fast that our shelter is very undersized for the population here in the area. We have to manage the intake of what we can bring in."

The space cleared and kennels emptied are again home to strays or runaway pets. The day after Christmas there was another knock at the door.

His name is Miracle, said Raffauf pointing to a newer intake with injuries. A lady was at her grandmothers house in Mount Pleasant. He was on the side of the road dragging himself along. She thought he had been hit by a car, but he really had been shot.

After giving so many dogs and cats homes for the holidays, Raffauf now knows miracles are possible.

She's hoping there's one more miracle left.

Here at the shelter we're limited in what we can do but he has the want to live and I want to give him every opportunity I can, said Raffauf.

opportunities available through Maury County Animal Services.

Raffauf also warns of the New Year's Eve fireworks as it's one of the busiest times for taking in runaway pets.

She recommends writing your phone number in your pet's collar with sharpie, keeping them calm and inside away from the noise and getting them micro-chipped.

Its the fourth night of Hanukkah, and in Franklin, they're busy preparing for the second-annual Hanukkah festival.

On Monday evening, residents are invited to bring their own menorah to light at the Miracle of Light festival.

I spoke with coordinators who say regardless of religion, its an opportunity for the entire community to come together.

With a towering Christmas tree at the center of Franklin's downtown square, the square will soon set the stage for the festival.

We will also feature star of David, said coordinator, Ellen Monen. Last year, we pulled the event together in eight days, and we kind of joked it being the miracle of Hanukkah.

The miracle continues this year with an even larger star-studded event.

More than 400 attended last year, leading the city to tell Ellen Monan they had already outgrown the space at the Eastern Flank Battlefield.

This year, the square will lend plenty of space for artists tents, latkes, warm drinks, community and the menorah lighting.

The whole idea is to bring your own menorah if you have them and people light them, said Monen. Its an amazing turnout from both the Jewish community and our Franklin neighbors.

Sweet Franklin neighbors like Kilwins.

We just enjoy being part of the community. We love these events in downtown, especially, said Melissa Wooten, Kilwins manager.

Donating a year's worth of ice cream for the silent auction, Wooten said she wanted to support the growing festival.

I would love for it to be just as big as Dickens (of a Christmas), said Wooten.

For her, the donation and supporting her neighbors is personal.

Even with whats going on in Israel right now, its even more important with all the trials their families may be going through who arent with them, said Wooten.

She's reminded of her own family with several adopted children at home.

They were not born and raised here and to be able to have that mix of people is always a good thing, said Wooten. Im Christian, and we feel in Gods eyes we are all the same, so we love everyone.

The Miracle of Light will start at 5 p.m. on Monday.

Actress Patricia Heaton who starred in "Everyone Loves Raymond" and "The Middle" will be the keynote speaker with Rabbi Saul Strosberg leading the ceremonies.

The square will be shut down to traffic starting at 1 p.m. Monday.

Theres a family home on Goodman drive in Gallatin. Its grown to be such a holiday light display, cars will pack the street in front of their home waiting to see it.

They get blocked out of their driveway. We get blocked out of our driveway sometime, said Damon Hobbs.

The Hobbs Family Lights started as a pandemic hobby has now grown into a year-round family project.

Newest addition would probably be the spinner board here, said Damon.

He points out Christmas trees made of lights near the roof that move their mouths to sync and sing with the music.

The singing Christmas trees are one of dozens of displays comprised of 14 thousand lights. All of the displays are carefully built, placed and imagined by the Hobbs family.

I guess Im the chief engineer, said Damon.

Wife, Meridith Hobbs says shes the chief ladder-holder.

And through the years, they found their home is now a holiday tradition for the thousands who stop by to see.

The music and lights together are now a 47-minute-long production.

They say some will sit out in front of their house to watch the entire production.

As for who chooses the music, Damon says he runs the music selections by his two daughters who pick out the right songs.

We actually broadcast over radio station 93.1, said Damon. Heres the main brain for everything. This is the projector and projects onto the screen.

They don't ask for donations. They simply remember a time when joy was hard to come by and wanted to bring it back.

We own a funeral home here in town. We wanted to get people out. We see a lot of grief a lot of sadness in the year so we wanted to bring a little joy to everyone everyones world, said the Hobbs. The important thing is it creates a tradition for families which makes memories.

And memories for the Hobbs family as well, as they watch on from their windows watching light brighten smiles.

Thats what its all about bringing some joy, said Damon.

The Hobbs Family says they will keep the display up through the new year.

If you want to plan a drive with your family it's on Goodman Drive in Gallatin, from 5 to 10 pm.

Parents in Wilson County are scrambling.

Many families said during the rush to get ready and get out the door for school in the morning they're getting calls and emails telling them the bus won't be taking their child to school.

Parents reached out frustrated, wanting to know what was going on.

I went to Wilson County to see why the county says they need help.

These are the emails we get about delayed or down to bus routes, said parent Lily Brady.

Brady said she's printed out hundreds of emails documenting unreliable bus routes. Now her patience has worn out.

It is definitely progressively gotten worse. The stack is much thicker than the rest of them, said Brady.

And she says they come at the worst time of day: the hectic morning when she and her son, Conlan, are getting ready for the bus to show up.

He will stand at that door at that window for an hour and a half, not move stand there, said Brady.

Brady said her son loves school. But she said that given his autism it's important he stays on a schedule. That schedule gets thrown off when the bus drops him off at school an hour late.

You can physically see the stress on him so its hard. Its frustrating, and as a parent, its hard for him, said Brady.

The district has a pretty simple answer for what the problem is: They just dont have enough people who want to sit in this seat.

Its not only here. Its a lot of places, and I know in our district is something weve tried to combat and tried to generate more drivers over the past five years, 10 years, said Bart Barker, Wilson County Schools spokesperson.

Barker said you name it they've tried it: job fairs, "now hiring" signs and advertising. He said for years they're been about 15 drivers short of fully staffed.

We understand the frustrations and inconveniences, said Barker.

He said when drivers call out, others behind the desk with commercial drivers licenses are getting behind the wheel to take kids to school.

They're hoping more will feel motivated to help. 

You have to know there are going to be hiccups along the way and developing that backup plan to see what happens in the event my childs bus is down to have that plan of action ready to go, said Barker.

Ive always been able to trust the county can get my kid to school on time, and I cant here. Thats a problem, said Brady.

Brady said she's holding up her end of the bargain, getting her child to school.

She said it's time the district do more.

Barker said the pay for a Wilson County school bus driver is comparable to other middle Tennessee districts.

The starting pay is about $22 an hour.

A proposal to improve roads and infrastructure without raising taxes. It may sound too good to be true, but Williamson County leaders think they can get the support.

They are banking on a unifying force among Tennesseans: traffic headaches, congested roads and infrastructure woes.

The time it takes folks to get from point a to point B has increased, said Nathan Zipper, chief economic development officer at Williamson, Inc. If youve ever complained about traffic in Williamson County, and you probably have, this project is for you.

petition and a proposal.

Williamson County leaders have an idea to balloon their budget for road projects without raising taxes. However, they're going to need help from up the hill.

Currently, the state collects 37 cents per $100 of revenue from the real estate transfer tax. But if thats to change so counties can collect, legislators first need a bill to consider.

I havent seen a bill. I heard this morning. Theres a bill coming, said Rep. Todd Warner, R-Chapel Hill.

He said he won't author the bill Warner says it's something he supports.

Anytime we can send money back to our district, I am more for local control than I am for state control, said Warner.

Williamson County leaders propose legislators allow counties to keep half of the taxes collected from real estate transfers.

For Williamson County that could mean $14 million a year to launch road projects like widening Interstate 65 and improving the Moores Lane interchange.

I asked what that would mean for counties that would see much less than $14 million a year.

Most counties are experiencing growth, and it could be spread pretty even, said Warner.

At least 10 people in all of those counties can connect their paycheck back to a Williamson County company, said Zipper. So when we talk about what happens here, it impacts not only our county and the Midstate, but it impacts the entire state.

Now it's just an idea.

But with enough signatures, it could see its time on the hill.

So far, there are more than 100 signatures on the petition after only 48 hours.

Williamson County leaders hope to get 2,000 signatures to present to state lawmakers after the new year.