US President Donald Trump has announced that nearly 200 companies and organizations have joined the voluntary “Ratepayer Protection Pledge,” a White House initiative aimed at preventing American households from bearing the costs of the country’s growing AI datacenter expansion. The expanded pledge now includes major technology firms, utility providers, datacenter developers, electricity cooperatives, and 23 state governors, covering companies responsible for supplying around 80% of electricity to US homes and businesses. Speaking at the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters, Trump said the initiative would help keep electricity prices under control while supporting the rapid growth of AI infrastructure across the country. The pledge, first introduced in March, was initially backed by leading technology companies including Google, Microsoft, Meta, Oracle, OpenAI, Amazon, and xAI. Despite the expansion, the pledge remains voluntary and has drawn criticism from environmental groups, which argue that it lacks enforcement mechanisms and does not guarantee lower electricity bills. The announcement comes as electricity prices continue to rise and concerns grow over the environmental impact and energy demands of AI datacenters, with several US states considering restrictions on future datacenter development.
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/23/trump-datacenter-costs-big-tech
