Several major US technology companies have signed a White House pledge promising to cover the energy costs of their artificial intelligence data centres instead of passing the burden to consumers.
Companies including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI signed the agreement known as the “Ratepayer Protection Pledge.”
Under the plan, the companies commit to building or purchasing the electricity needed to power their AI infrastructure. They also agreed to pay for new energy infrastructure required for their data centres.
The move comes as the rapid growth of AI computing increases electricity demand across the United States. According to recent Harvard Kennedy School research, data centres might consume up to 12% of US electricity by 2028.
Residential power tariffs rose by 6% in 2025, according to government data, indicating the already rising cost of energy.
Part of the goal of the pledge, which was made at President Trump’s State of the Union address, is to ease public concerns about rising living costs.
The companies also promised to use local labour, provide skill-training programs, and allow backup generators at their plants to maintain the electrical infrastructure during shortages.
The commitment is not legally required, and the White House has not yet revealed how compliance will be monitored.
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