Seven of the leading companies behind the AI boom have agreed to pay for the electricity it requires.
“First, these companies are committing to provide or pay for all power generation and electricity needed for their AI projects,” Trump said. “Second, they'll cover the costs of upgrading existing power delivery infrastructure.”
Under the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, companies must build, bring, or buy the electricity needed for their AI data centers, pay for transmission lines, substations, and other grid upgrades, and cover those costs whether they use the power or not.
They will also negotiate separate electricity rate structures with utilities and state regulators to prevent those costs from being passed on to consumers.
Companies participating said they are investing in new power capacity and grid upgrades as AI data centers increase electricity demand.
Speaking at the White House, Meta President Dina Powell said the company intends to cover the electricity costs tied to its facilities while investing in workforce development tied to the buildout.
“We want to fully cover the cost of the energy that we use in our data centers,” Powell said, adding that data centers also bring jobs. “It's not just extraordinary engineers, it is pipe fitters, it is welders, it is electricians.”
Powell also announced a training program tied to data center construction. “We have launched a pilot in Ohio to train fiber technicians,” she said. “When you graduate, you have a license to be a fiber technician and a guaranteed job with Meta.”
Google President Ruth Porat said the expansion of AI computing requires major additions to the electricity supply.
“It must be powered by abundant and affordable energy if it is to benefit all Americans,” Porat said, adding that Google is adding new power capacity as it expands data centers.
“In Texas alone, we have contracted to add more than 7,800 megawatts of net new energy generation and capacity to the grid as we grow our data center footprint,” she added.
White House science adviser Michael Kratsios said the pledge is meant to ensure the growth of AI infrastructure does not shift energy costs to households.
“American AI leadership should never come at the cost of hard-working Americans' ability to pay their electricity bills,” he said.
