The White House hailed the pledge, which aims to protect consumers from data center energy costs, as “historic.”
Published July 23, 2026
President Donald Trump’s administration announced an expansion of a voluntary pledge aimed at protecting consumers from energy costs associated with the rapid expansion of data centers, primarily used by artificial intelligence companies.
The White House announced Thursday that it is adding state governors and power companies to the agreement, which was first announced in March between tech and AI companies. But the U.S. government stopped short of enforcing protections.
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The White House called the expansion of the pledge “historic” and said 200 more power companies, data center developers and states will join it.
The pledge is a “commitment by hyperscalers, AI companies, and the utilities and data center developers behind them to build, install, or purchase every kilowatt needed for a facility and to pay for every dollar of the infrastructure to deliver it.”
Consumers are not willing to pay for the energy needed for AI.
In remarks about the pledge Thursday at the Environmental Protection Agency, President Trump called on the assembled executives and governors to sell the data centers to the public, stressing that the cities and towns that house them would “become richer.”
“We have to convince the community. We cannot rebel. We have no choice but to comply,” President Trump said.
“If you don’t take all that money, someone else will. You’re better off doing it yourself.”
The US President has been a strong advocate of AI, making it a huge source of investment and a key priority for the country’s strong technology sector. Mr. Trump has approached the sector, including some close allies, with a light regulatory touch during his second term.
But increased power demand from AI data centers could increase monthly utility bills by 15 to 40 percent by 2030, according to an analysis by consulting and technology services firm ICF.
According to a May Gallup poll, 7 in 10 Americans oppose the construction of AI data centers in their area, with about 48% saying they strongly oppose it. Just over 25 percent said they supported such efforts, and only 7 percent said they strongly supported them.
Concerns about the impact such centers would have on utilities such as electricity and water are often cited as reasons for opposition, along with concerns about quality of life and skepticism about the benefits of AI.
The construction of AI data centers has emerged as a prominent issue in some elections around the country, and the industry is moving forward with plans to rapidly expand infrastructure for the technology.
A Johns Hopkins University poll conducted in June found that Americans strongly support stronger regulation of AI, with about 60% of respondents saying they expect AI to increase inequality over the next 10 years.
Four in 10 respondents said AI companies stand to gain the most power from expanding the technology, while only one in 10 said individuals would benefit the most.
