Trump expands Ratepayer Protection Pledge to curb AI data‑center bills

President Donald Trump announced an expanded, voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, adding Republican governors, utility companies and other stakeholders. The pledge obliges operators of AI‑driven data centers – including Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Meta, OpenAI, Oracle and xAI – to pay for new power generation and grid upgrades required for their facilities, with the promise that it will cover about 80 % of the electricity delivered to U.S. homes and businesses. Nearly 200 additional signatories have joined, among them 23 Republican governors and a range of utilities and developers. Critics, including consumer‑advocacy groups, label the pledge a non‑binding “pinky promise” and warn it may not stop projected residential electricity price increases of 5 % in 2026 and 2 % in 2027. The Tennessee Valley Authority also signed, pledging to keep rates low for its ten‑million customers. Public opposition to the rapid construction of AI data centers remains high, with polls showing roughly 70 % of Americans against nearby projects, and some governors declining to join.