President Trump expands AI data center ‘ratepayer protection pledge’ to include state governors and utility companies — White House claims this will make electricity more affordable

President Donald Trump expanded the ratepayer protection pledge to include state governors, utility companies, and data center developers to lower electricity costs. While the voluntary pledge covers 80% of US electricity delivery, it faces skepticism regarding enforcement and crypto mining. Meanwhile, PJM Interconnect, the largest US grid operator, increased power costs by 75.5% and charged Maryland $2 billion for infrastructure upgrades as data centers continue to place significant demands on the national power grid.