President Donald Trump has expanded his Ratepayer Protection Pledge, aiming to prevent data centers from increasing utility costs for consumers. The pledge, initially signed by seven companies, now includes 23 Republican governors and 200 stakeholders. Trump announced the expansion at the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, emphasizing that AI data centers and big tech companies should pay their own way.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry attended the announcement, citing an example where Meta is covering 100% of the costs to connect a data center in his state. This deal is expected to save Louisiana ratepayers $2.6 billion. However, experts note that the pledge is voluntary and lacks the force of law.
Despite this, the involvement of key stakeholders and governors is seen as a positive step. The pledge commits parties to work at the state level to pass legislation and protect ratepayers. With 23 governors signed on, the pledge may lead to meaningful changes in the way data centers are regulated and funded.
