President Donald Trump is set to unveil a pledge backed by governors, lawmakers, utilities, and data center developers aimed at shielding households from electricity costs tied to the AI boom. The pledge extends Trump’s original Ratepayer Protection Pledge from March to ensure companies building and using data centers pay above and beyond normal rates so that costs are not passed on to average households.
Background
The country’s patchwork system of regional electric grids is already under severe strain, with massive congestion on transmission lines surging 81% to $3.2 billion in 2025 in the PJM Interconnection, the largest regional electric grid that serves 67 million people. Data center advocates say the industry’s rapid expansion is driving long-overdue investments in America’s electric grid, citing other factors driving up costs, including power-plant retirements and transmission constraints.
The White House says the pledge, which is nonbinding, will now cover 80% of all the power delivered to U.S. homes and businesses. Trump will be joined by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, and several state governors who signed the original pledge.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
