President Donald Trump announced on July 23, 2026, that around 200 entities including tech companies, utilities, and 23 Republican governors have signed the voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge to keep consumers from bearing the costs of AI data center build-outs at the EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

The pledge requires AI firms, data center developers, and utilities to build, bring, or buy the power their operations need and cover all infrastructure expenses, rather than passing those costs through to electricity customers [1, 2, 4, 5]. Trump said, "We have kept rates down, way down," and stressed, "These companies are spending tremendous amounts of money on the local communities." He urged communities to embrace data centers, saying, "If we don't do this, we're going to be left behind. You have to convince your communities how great these things are. You can't fight it. You have to go with it." [1, 3]

Approximately 80% of power delivered to U.S. homes and businesses is now covered by the pledge, demonstrating its wide reach [1, 3, 4]. Among the 23 Republican governors who signed are Brian Kemp of Georgia, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Spencer Cox of Utah, Jeff Landry of Louisiana, Greg Abbott of Texas, Jim Pillen of Nebraska, and Brad Little of Idaho. Kemp, Pillen, Little, and Landry attended the announcement [1, 3, 5].

The pledge is voluntary and non-binding, with no legal penalties for non-compliance [2, 4]. Trump warned that "radical left communists want to shut down all new development, kill our most successful industries, destroy hundreds of thousands of jobs, and surrender the AI race to China." He criticized foreign propaganda that he said discourages local support for data centers [1, 3].

Concerns about increasing electricity prices and environmental impacts have fueled opposition to AI data centers. Several states, including New York, enacted moratoria on data center construction this year. New York imposed a temporary ban in July 2026 amid growing resistance [1, 2].

Electricity prices rose about 4% year-over-year as of June 2026, and estimates warn of utility bill increases of 15% to 40% by 2030 due to AI data center demand [1, 2, 4]. A May 2026 poll found 70% of Americans oppose new AI data centers [2].

The Ratepayer Protection Pledge was first launched in March 2026 by seven major tech companies including Google, Microsoft, Meta, Oracle, xAI, OpenAI, and Amazon. Trump's announcement expanded its scope to utilities and governors [1, 5].

At the EPA event, Trump was joined by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin [1, 2, 3, 5].

The next scheduled milestone is monitoring the pledge's implementation and utility rates as AI data center projects proceed nationwide.