By: J.J. Pavlick | Washington, D.C. | March 4, 2026

In a landmark effort to protect American consumers from rising energy bills, President Donald J. Trump convened leaders from the nation’s top technology firms at the White House on Wednesday to sign the Ratepayer Protection Pledge. The agreement ensures that the massive costs of powering the U.S. data center boom are borne by the industry, not by regular households. 

The “Build, Bring, or Buy” Mandate

The pledge was signed by Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI. Under the “build, bring, or buy” framework, these companies must source new generation and pay for all grid infrastructure upgrades required for their facilities. Crucially, they will negotiate separate rate structures with utilities to ensure these expenses are never passed through to residential bills. 

Industry leaders expressed strong support for the framework: 

Matt Garman (CEO, AWS): “Amazon is signing this pledge to reinforce our commitment to paying our full energy costs and ensuring our data centers do not increase electricity bills for consumers”.

Brad Lightcap (COO, OpenAI): “Building the infrastructure to advance AI is vital for America’s economic competitiveness. We believe the infrastructure that enables AI should benefit the communities that make it possible”.

Dina Powell McCormick (President, Meta): “We’re incredibly proud of the thousands of jobs Meta data centers are creating… while our investments ensure Americans have the skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow”. 

Grid Reliability and Energy Dominance 

The initiative comes as the Department of Energy projects a 16 percent surge in electricity demand by 2030. To meet this, the administration is leveraging its National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC). Key actions include preserving 74 coal-fired plants and intervening in the PJM power market to drive the largest surge in power plant development in U.S. history. 

Additionally, the companies are committed to sharing their backup generation resources with grid operators during emergencies to prevent blackouts. 

Local Benefits and Oversight

The pledge emphasizes local workforce training. In Springfield, Ohio, residents like Maria Johnson have already noted the impact.

“We were worried our rates might jump with the new data centers,” Johnson said. “But so far, we haven’t seen any increase, which gives us peace of mind.” 

While the administration will streamline permits to just 2 to 4 weeks for these projects, critics from groups like the Center for American Progress have noted the pledge’s voluntary nature, arguing that strict enforcement will be necessary to ensure long-term ratepayer protection. 

RATEPAYER PROTECTION PLEDGE PROCLAMATION

March 4, 2026

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

America’s continued economic and technological leadership depends on reliable, large-scale data center infrastructure built in the United States.  Data center infrastructure is the foundation of the internet, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI), and it supports our economic and national security.  To harness the full power of American innovation and ensure Americans do not become reliant on foreign industries, the development of large-scale data center infrastructure and AI must occur here at home, with American workers and engineers leading the way.  Our investments in these industries will also employ Americans across a wide array of professions in a shared endeavor that will bolster our Nation’s economic standing for years to come.

However, as data centers expand their footprint and AI-related electricity demand increases, American households must be protected from rising energy costs.  The hyperscalers and AI companies that increase electricity demand must pay for the full cost of the energy and infrastructure needed to build and operate data centers, and must not pass this cost on to the American people.  Instead, the data center boom should be leveraged to address affordability and benefit all American households and businesses.

Today, pursuant to the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, leading United States hyperscalers and AI companies guarantee that data centers’ energy needs will not increase household electricity costs for American citizens.  Instead, these companies will build, bring in, or buy the new-generation resources and electricity needed to meet their energy demands, and pay for all new power-delivery infrastructure upgrades to serve their data centers.  They will voluntarily negotiate new, separate rate structures with their utilities and relevant State governments, and pay those rates, and for their infrastructure, whether they use the electricity or not.  They will also invest in local communities and coordinate with grid operators to contribute to a more reliable grid.  These measures will ensure that Americans are protected from higher energy prices, benefit from grid upgrades and increased grid resilience, and benefit from this technological boom while the United States continues its global leadership in innovation and advanced technology.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim as follows: 

(1)  The Ratepayer Protection Pledge and the commitments embodied therein effectuate the national policy of the United States.

(2)  On this day, March 4, 2026, seven leading technology companies have accepted the terms of the Ratepayer Protection Pledge.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.

DONALD J. TRUMP

The Ratepayer Protection Pledge ensures that American innovation is powered by private investment rather than public utility bills. Stay ahead of the curve on energy policy. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for deep-dive analysis for just $2/year.