Tech giants have backed a pledge from President Donald Trump to pay more for electricity to run resource-hungry AI data centers ahead of its signing on Wednesday.
Google, Microsoft, Meta, Oracle, xAI, OpenAI and Amazon will join Trump at the White House to sign the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, an agreement to ensure expenses for the infrastructure and power delivery for the data centers are not passed on to the public, according to a White House official.
The pledge also commits these companies to hiring and training a workforce from within communities where data centers are built and operated, the official said.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said the pledge will help stop the rising electricity prices that started during the Biden administration, while also “ensuring the United States wins the AI race.”
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“We will continue partnering with technology leaders to strengthen America’s competitive edge, while keeping energy costs low for hardworking families,” Wright said.
Executives from the tech companies that will sign the pledge have largely lauded Trump’s plan, which aims to contribute to lower electricity costs, stronger grid infrastructure and enhanced grid resilience during emergencies.
“We welcome the administration’s leadership on this issue and support the pledge’s commitments, which establish a clear baseline to protect ratepayers while enabling responsible, long-term energy partnerships that strengthen the grid and the communities where data centers operate,” Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman said.
Brad Smith, Microsoft vice chair and president, said the pledge “is an important step,” echoing his company’s appreciation of Trump’s leadership “to ensure that data centers don’t contribute to higher electricity prices for consumers.”
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Dina Powell McCormick, Meta president and vice chair, noted the importance of the pledge during what she called the “biggest infrastructure boom since World War II.”
“The pledge gives companies like Meta the certainty we need to keep up the momentum, ensuring that American AI dominance and the prosperity of American families go hand-in-hand,” she said.
Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer at Alphabet and Google, said the pledge will “accelerate breakthroughs to secure America’s energy future” as it remains committed to protecting energy affordability for American households.
Brad Lightcap, Open AI chief operating officer, said infrastructure and energy upgrades are “vital for America’s economic competitiveness.”
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“As demand for AI continues to grow, we believe the infrastructure that enables AI should benefit the communities that make it possible, and that’s why we’re proud to support the White House’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge,” Lightcap said.
Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.
