Trump expands AI power pledge to protect consumers

Washington, July 23 (IANS) President Donald Trump on Thursday expanded the administration's Ratepayer Protection Pledge to governors, utilities, power providers and data centre developers, saying the rapid growth of artificial intelligence must not lead to higher electricity bills for American households.

Announcing the initiative during the White House daily briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration wanted companies building and operating AI data centres to bear the cost of the infrastructure they require instead of shifting those expenses to consumers.

"The president will expand the Ratepayer Protection Pledge to governors, state legislatures, developers, and power providers to ensure that everyone involved in building and powering data centres pays their own way, instead of passing those costs on to hard-working families," Leavitt said.

She said Trump would formally unveil the expanded programme later in the day at the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and several governors.

According to Leavitt, the initiative has already attracted broad industry support.

"Nearly 200 additional stakeholders have signed on since it was first announced, including utilities, data centre developers, public power authorities, co-ops and state governors," she said.

"As a result, the pledge now covers 80 per cent of all the power delivered to American homes and businesses."

The White House presented the programme as part of Trump's broader strategy to ensure the AI boom strengthens the US economy without placing additional financial burdens on consumers.

Leavitt said rapidly expanding electricity demand from large-scale AI computing facilities has raised concerns about rising energy costs in communities hosting those projects.

"The president is ensuring the American people are never left footing the bill, so private companies can benefit," she said.

Instead, she added, "President Trump is leveraging the data centre boom to deliver real, tangible benefits for working families and small businesses."

Responding to questions later in the briefing about whether Trump would press utility executives to reduce electricity prices, Leavitt said the pledge was designed to make companies responsible for the additional power infrastructure required by AI projects.

"The Ratepayer Protection Pledge is a novel idea drawn up by this president and his team to ensure that data centres and communities where those communities want data centres, that these big CEOs and energy companies are picking up the tab for the energy costs in these communities."

She said the expanded pledge now includes governors who appoint state utility regulators, utilities, rural electric co-operatives and technology companies involved in building and operating data centres.

"The American taxpayer" should not be "fronted with those bills," she said.

The White House also linked the initiative to strategic competition with China in artificial intelligence.

"President Trump's bold leadership is turning data centres from a source of concern into engines of growth and opportunity for communities across this country, all while cementing America's dominance over China in the global AI race," Leavitt said.

The administration has repeatedly argued that maintaining US leadership in artificial intelligence will require substantial investment in computing infrastructure, electricity generation and advanced semiconductor technology.

The rapid expansion of AI has significantly increased demand for electricity as technology companies build large data centres to train and operate increasingly powerful AI models. Governments, utilities and regulators have been grappling with how to finance the additional power generation and transmission needed to support that growth without placing higher costs on residential consumers.

--IANS

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