As AI backlash grows, Trump says firms should pay more for electricity
But it underscored the extent to which rising energy bills have become a top concern for voters – and a potential liability for Republicans – ahead of the midterm elections.Trump first announced the initiative, which he called a “ratepayer protection pledge”, during his State of the Union speech in February. “It’s only fair that the cost of building the new infrastructure to meet this demand should be borne by the corporations themselves, not by the American consumers and the American patriots.”In addition to the utilities, the new signatories include major data centre developers such as Equinix and Digital Realty. Many Democratic governors have announced their own plans to prevent data centres from increasing energy costs in their states.Trump has been a major booster of artificial intelligence, which he has said is essential to winning the technology race against China.
- ▪But it underscored the extent to which rising energy bills have become a top concern for voters – and a potential liability for Republicans – ahead of the midterm elections.Trump first announced the initiative, which he called a “ratepayer
- ▪“It’s only fair that the cost of building the new infrastructure to meet this demand should be borne by the corporations themselves, not by the American consumers and the American patriots.”In addition to the utilities, the new signatories
- ▪Many Democratic governors have announced their own plans to prevent data centres from increasing energy costs in their states.Trump has been a major booster of artificial intelligence, which he has said is essential to winning the technolog
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| Canonical URL | https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/as-ai-backlash-grows-trump-says-firms-should-pay-more-for-electricity |
| Publication time | Fri, 24 Jul 2026 08:10:00 +0800 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-07-24T00:58:56.734Z |
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As AI backlash grows, Trump says firms should pay more for electricitySign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxIn March, the White House secured promises from tech companies such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft to pay a greater share of the enormous costs associated with delivering electricity to new data centres. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PIXABAYBrad Plumer and Maxine JoselowPublished Jul 24, 2026, 08:10 AMUpdated Jul 24, 2026, 08:10 AMSet as preferred sourceSummariseMore than 200 US companies and politicians, including major utilities, signed a pledge to prevent AI data centres from raising electricity costs for consumers.The pledge is voluntary and symbolic, with no Democratic governors signing; New York has enacted a moratorium on new data centres due to environmental…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Straits Times — World.