With Skyrocketing Energy Prices for Consumers, White House Asks Data Centers to Sign Non-Binding Pledge
WASHINGTON — With surging utility prices and a massive and irresponsible expansion of energy wasting data centers across the country, President Donald Trump this week asked leading AI companies to sign a non-binding pledge to protect consumers from rate hikes, which are already underway. At an event attended by Big Tech executives at the White House, the companies signed an unenforceable and voluntary agreement, which committed the companies to “build, bring, or buy new generation” resources to power data centers.
In the first year of his second term, Donald Trump has ruthlessly rolled back renewable energy projects, undermining projects currently under construction, while stopping projects that had been planned. The administration’s actions have frozen gigawatts of energy generation from reaching the grid, despite price surges for consumers.
In response, Meghan Pazik, senior policy advocate with Public Citizen’s Climate Program, issued the following statement:
“Trump is acknowledging there is a massive problem with energy affordability, but he isn’t doing anything binding to cut energy bills. Data centers increase residential energy bills by upwards of 250% and many communities are left in the dark on these projects from the start. Asking corporations to sign meaningless ‘agreements’ fits Trump’s tired pattern of seeking fake concessions from corporations that translate to zero action or relief.
“Big Tech is building AI infrastructure without a clear plan for dealing with the strain these data centers put on energy prices. It does nothing to stop Big Tech from continuing to take advantage of everyday Americans or bully states and localities from building data centers that use power that pollutes our air and water. Americans have had enough of Big Tech bullying our communities, endangering our children, and threatening our jobs and livelihoods with their AI nightmares. Big Tech should be required to pay for data centers—and they should use cheap, clean renewable power, not expensive, polluting fossil fuels.”
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