"The president said he had negotiated a deal with tech giants to cover the energy costs of data centers, but offered few details. Experts said such pledges could prove difficult in practice."
"In a nod to voter frustration over rising electricity prices, President Trump on Tuesday said he was negotiating pledges from major tech companies to pay a greater share of the energy costs associated with new data centers.
Silicon Valley is spending hundreds of billions of dollars to build power-hungry data centers for artificial intelligence as demand for electricity is increasing across the United States. That has led to widespread fears that the A.I. boom could cause utility bills to spike for ordinary households.
Mr. Trump’s announcement during his State of the Union speech was light on details, and experts said that any promises by tech companies to pay more for their electricity could be difficult to verify or enforce in practice. Yet the move underscored the extent to which White House officials and Republicans have worried that rising electricity prices could hurt them in the midterm elections this year.
“We’re telling the major tech companies they have the obligation to provide for their own power needs and can build their own power plants so no one’s prices will go up,” Mr. Trump said. He called it a “ratepayer protection pledge.”"
Brad Plumer reports for the New York Times February 25, 2026.
SEE ALSO:
"Big Tech Companies To Meet Trump At White House To Sign Pledge On Data Center Power Costs" (CNBC)
