WATCH: Trump hosts AI leaders to sign pledge that households won't bear utility bill increases

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Wed Mar 4, 2026, 07:42 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: PBS News/AP

Mar 4, 2026 4:50 PM EST


WASHINGTON (AP) � President Donald Trump invited technology companies to the White House on Wednesday to commit to developing their own power generation as he tries to ease tensions over the cost of electricity used by data centers to develop artificial intelligence.

"They need some PR help because people think that if a data center goes in there, electricity prices are going to go up," Trump said. "It's not going to happen."

The "ratepayer protection" pledge touted by the president comes as affordability has become a top concern for an American public wary of the possibility that the AI buildout could lead to higher utility bills. Trump first announced the pledge during his State of the Union address last month, but provided few details

Communities across the nation have seen a backlash against data centers over fears about rising electricity prices and concerns about pollution and water consumption. Opposition to rising power prices was also a key factor in Democratic wins last year in elections in states including Georgia, Virginia and New Jersey.

Read more: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-trump-hosts-ai-leaders-to-sign-pledge-that-households-wont-bear-utility-bill-increases

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[Deuxcents]

1. Promises are made to be broken This one is no exception

[CentralMass]

2. F'ck him and the assemblage of Broligarch's he rode in on.

[Lovie777]

3. I do not believe it.....................

[highplainsdem]

4. I wonder if Trump.mentioned that one idea for data center power is lots of small deregulated nuclear power plants.

I don't thing those will be very popular, either.

[Probatim]

5. Small, natural gas gensets will likely be a chunk of it. Noisy, polluting, pieces of shit.

[highplainsdem]

9. Those, too. But the AI bros have also been talking about wanting nuclear power, and the Trump admin

is going to cut a lot of regulations to help them there:

Trump has slashed safety requirements for nuclear reactors - secretly - as a favor for AI bros building data centers
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220976814

[Probatim]

11. Microsoft got Three Mile Island reopened. We're financing the insurance to keep it running.

So slashing safety requirements seems like a logical next step.

[purr-rat beauty]

6. So...uh, let's say

These data centers stick around for a decade. What will make it sustainable and not a stress on our pockets and the environment

He's full of shit, fuck him.

[EarlG]

7. Come back in 2027 for...

"We understand you're disappointed that your utility bills have doubled in the past twelve months. We're listening, and we hear you. Last year we pledged that your utility bills would not increase, and we let you down. This year, we promise to do better. As a token of thanks, we'd like to offer you three months of our Epic Creator Pro package -- usually a $900 value -- for just $300."

-- AI leaders of America

[highplainsdem]

10. That would not surprise me.

[Prairie Gates]

8. I never saw any Schoolhouse Rock called "How a Bill Becomes a Pledge"

[Marie Marie]

12. Aw gee - did they pinkie swear on that?

Along those lines, I recently heard that one of monster data centers is planning to fire up the long shuttered Three Mile Island Nuclear facility - which was shut down after a close call on a China syndrome type meltdown - to power their center. The people in the shadows of those haunting cooling towers are thrilled beyond belief - not!. My question is: If this is allowed to happen, who is responsible for the running and maintenance of this antiquated plant?? ( Side note: I do not know the current status of this whole plan. I came across a short You tube video filmed in that neighborhood.)

Ooops - just saw that post #11 addressed this so I am not the only one to have heard this. Scary.

[LudwigPastorius]

13. "they need some PR help"

Trump's dementia is making him occasionally say something truthful.He admitted that this "pledge" is just a photo op for public relations.

They all probably had a big laugh about it after the cameras were gone.