White House officials are asking technology companies to commit that their data centers will not drive up electricity prices or impose other burdens on consumers, according to two people familiar with the plan. Initiatives also include urging tech industry executives to sign non-binding agreements committing their companies to shoulder the costs of building supporting infrastructure for data centers, these people said. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the plans discussed have not been made public.
According to people familiar with the matter, Trump administration officials are in discussions with Microsoft, Alphabet and other companies to ask them to sign relevant commitments. A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment made after regular business hours Monday evening.
The move is aimed at resolving political and public relations issues caused by the expansion of data centers across the United States - technology companies' demand for computing power continues to rise in order to advance artificial intelligence projects.
Technology companies are facing growing civil resistance: activist groups in many regions have mobilized against the construction of energy-intensive data centers on the grounds that they will excessively consume local infrastructure, water resources and electricity supplies. Many regions, including Atlanta and New Orleans, have introduced new regulations restricting the construction of new data centers.
The issue also poses political risks to Trump ahead of the November midterm elections, which will determine whether Republicans can retain control of Congress. Voters are highly concerned about the cost of living. Although Trump has repeatedly touted the decline in gasoline prices, electricity prices have continued to rise. The rise in electricity prices is being driven by demand from industrial production and data centers, as well as increased electrification in home heating, cooking and transportation.
Some media reported on Monday that Trump may focus on these promises in his State of the Union address on Tuesday. Some media have previously reported on parts of the plan.
Although these commitments are not legally binding, government officials believe that formal public commitments can bring accountability and provide some comfort to consumers who are worried that the rapid development of AI envisioned by Trump will cause environmental damage and rising costs.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump promised to halve electricity prices within 18 months of taking office, but the reality is that consumers’ electricity bills have increased, far exceeding the overall inflation level.
Trump revealed relevant trends in advance on social media in January this year. He emphasized that although data centers are "the key to the prosperity of artificial intelligence," "the large technology companies that build these data centers must bear their own costs."
In addition, the Trump administration is pushing for the largest power grid in the United States to hold emergency power auctions to allow technology companies to bid for long-term power supplies.