The White House is urging major AI companies to absorb electricity costs linked to the rapid expansion of data centers, amid rising consumer power prices.

President Donald Trump addressed the issue during his State of the Union speech, calling on tech firms to build or finance their own power sources to prevent higher bills for households.

National electricity prices have climbed more than 6% over the past year, a trend partly attributed to energy-hungry AI infrastructure.

In response, several hyperscalers have already pledged to cover the additional costs. Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic have each announced commitments to ensure their data centers do not raise residential electricity rates.

While the White House has not released details of a formal agreement, spokespersons say companies will sign a pledge in the coming weeks.

Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, and others are expected to participate, though attendance has not been confirmed.

Critics argue that voluntary commitments may not go far enough. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona warned that communities need enforceable guarantees and a voice in how data center expansion affects local energy systems, particularly as on-site power generation could still strain supply chains and the environment.

Source: TechCrunch