[American Tech Giants Sign White House Commitment to Cover AI Data Center Power Costs]

Odaily Planet Daily reported that President Trump announced at a White House roundtable that Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI have signed a non-binding agreement called the "Ratepayer Protection Commitment," pledging to independently "build, source, or purchase" the electricity needed for data centers without passing the costs onto consumers. Trump stated that data centers "need some PR help," as the public worries that data center construction could drive up electricity prices, but he assured that this will not happen. A report released in February by Harvard Kennedy School previously indicated that the power demand of AI data centers has already exceeded existing supply in some areas, and it is estimated that by 2028, data center electricity consumption could account for 12% of the total U.S. electricity usage. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that residential electricity prices will rise by 6% in 2025 and are expected to continue increasing through 2027 and 2028. The commitment requires companies to pay for all new electricity infrastructure needed for data centers, regardless of usage, and to commit to local hiring, skills training, and providing backup generators to the grid. This pledge was announced ahead of the midterm elections in November, and it remains unclear how the White House will ensure that companies fulfill their commitments.