On Thursday, July 23rd, 2026, former President Donald Trump announced that approximately 200 entities have signed on to his non-binding "Ratepayer Protection Pledge," a voluntary commitment designed to ensure that US consumers will not shoulder the costs associated with the build-out of AI datacenters.
Trump made the announcement during remarks at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters, accompanied by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Governors who have signed the pledge, including Brian Kemp of Georgia, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Spencer Cox of Utah, and Jeff Landry of Louisiana, were also present.
Initially launched in March and signed by seven major tech companies—Google, Microsoft, Meta, Oracle, xAI, OpenAI, and Amazon—the pledge now covers companies responsible for delivering 80% of all power to US homes and businesses, according to the White House. Trump stated, "Electricity rates for 80% of the power distributed in America are now being kept in check by the plan."
Additionally, 23 Republican governors, major utilities such as Nextera and Duke Energy, datacenter developers, and electricity cooperatives have joined the scheme.
During the event, Trump criticized what he called "radical left communists" for attempting to halt new development, harm industries, and jeopardize the US's position in the AI race against China.
However, the pledge has faced criticism. Patrick Drupp, climate policy director at the Sierra Club, described it as a "paper-thin commitment" that offers little relief to families struggling with soaring energy bills. Drupp added, "Trump promised again and again to cut Americans’ energy costs, but instead he’s letting the same corporations driving up demand write their own rules – a voluntary pledge with no teeth and no consequences if they break it."
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