With 23 governors' support, Trump expands agreement to prevent consumers from paying energy costs of data centers

The Trump administration welcomed the signing of the Ratepayer Protection Pledge by 23 governors. The initiative aims to ensure that the growth of data centers dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI) does not result in higher electricity rates for consumers.

The User Protection Pledge is an initiative promoted by the Trump administration to ensure that data center developers bear the costs of the electrical infrastructure required by their projects, preventing those investments from being passed on to electricity bills for households and small businesses.

The agreement, which is nonbinding, was signed by governors, public utilities, electric cooperatives, and technology companies. According to the Trump administration, more than 200 organizations have already joined the commitment, which would cover nearly 80% of the electricity distributed in the United States.

Among the states who signed are Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and South Carolina.

"Thank you, President Trump, for your leadership on the Ratepayer Protection Pledge. Tennessee has shown we can lead the nation in innovation while protecting hardworking families from higher utility bills, & we’re grateful for your leadership to advance policies that strengthen our economy & secure America’s future," said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee.

"The Ratepayer Protection Pledge is a crucial step in unleashing American innovation and keeping costs down for hardworking families and small businesses," noted Brian Kemp, governor of Georgia.

President Trump celebrated the latest sign-ups with a recent event at the White House. There, he noted that "electricity rates for 80% of the power distributed in America are now being kept in check by the plan."