Data Center

Tech Companies Vow to Cover Electricity Costs of Data Centers in White House Deal

On Wednesday, President Trump hosted tech companies and promoted a 'ratepayer protection' pledge, which asks companies to build or buy new generation for their data centers.

Associated Press

Mar 4, 2026 — 3 min read

Photo of Meta President Dina Powell, left, speaking during an event about the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Washington, by Jacquelyn Martin/AP

WASHINGTON, March 4, 2026 (AP) — President Donald Trump invited technology companies to the White House on Wednesday to commit to developing their own power generation as he tries to ease tensions over the cost of electricity used by data centers to develop artificial intelligence.

“They need some PR help because people think that if a data center goes in there, electricity prices are going to go up,” Trump said. “It’s not going to happen.”

The “ratepayer protection” pledge touted by the president comes as affordability has become a top concern for an American public wary of the possibility that the AI build out could lead to higher utility bills. Trump first announced the pledge during his State of the Union address last week, but provided few details.

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Data Center Donald Trump Meta AI Google Microsoft Oracle OpenAI Amazon xAI Edison Electric Institute Earthjustice Jill Tauber Drew Maloney AP Evergreen Action