White House to Convene Tech Giants for AI Energy Cost Commitment
Major technology companies such as Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, xAI, Oracle, and OpenAI are set to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on March 4, 2026. The purpose of this meeting is to sign the “Rate Payer Protection Pledge.” This initiative is designed to prevent American consumers from shouldering the cost of the rising AI-driven electricity demand.
The pledge was announced during Trump’s State of the Union address on February 24, 2026. It mandates tech companies to build, bring, or buy their own power supply for new AI data centers. “We’re telling the major tech companies that they have the obligation to provide for their own power needs,” Trump stated. This statement addresses the growing concerns about rising electricity bills in states with heavy data center concentrations.
The move comes as electricity prices have surged across the country. Some states have experienced increases of up to 16% in the past year. Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed that all major hyperscalers have agreed to the pledge.
- Several companies, including Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic, had already made independent commitments to cover electricity costs before the White House announcement.
- However, energy experts have questioned whether the pledge will effectively shield consumers. Most cost pressures come from transmission and distribution infrastructure rather than energy supply alone.
Source: CNBC