Trump says nearly 200 firms have signed pledge to protect Americans from costs arising from datacenters

Donald Trump announced Thursday that nearly 200 entities have signed his non-binding "Ratepayer Protection Pledge," a voluntary commitment aimed at ensuring U.S. consumers do not bear the costs of the artificial intelligence data center build-out, the White House said. Trump delivered remarks at the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters alongside EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. The pledge, first announced in March, was initially signed by seven technology companies including Google, Microsoft, Meta, Oracle, xAI, OpenAI and Amazon. According to the White House, it now covers companies delivering 80% of all power to U.S. homes and businesses. Trump said 23 Republican governors have signed on, along with major utilities such as NextEra and Duke Energy, data center developers and electricity cooperatives. The announcement comes amid rising electricity bills and bipartisan concern over the environmental and social impacts of data centers. Utility prices were up 4% year-over-year in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than a dozen states have considered moratoriums on data centers, and New York enacted a temporary ban this month. Environmental groups criticized the pledge as insufficient. Patrick Drupp of the Sierra Club called it a "paper-thin commitment" that lacks enforcement. Lena Moffitt of Evergreen Action described the event as a "photo op with big tech" that will not lower electric bills.