Trump To Bring Together Utilities and Data Center Developers For Second Toothless “Pledge” — It Won’t Lower a Single American’s Power Bill

Trump promised to cut energy bills in half in his first year in office – instead, they’ve spiked as much as 18% as he’s slashed investments in solar and wind.

New Climate Power/Center for American Progress Action Fund analysis finds Trump’s clean energy cuts have already cost the average household $213 in higher utility bills, part of a $2,072 hit from his broader agenda.

Washington, DC – According to new reporting this morning, the White House will gather utility executives and data center developers for a new round of voluntary “pledges” that it claims will stop AI’s exploding electricity demand from hitting households. Americans have heard this before: Trump already staged a similar ceremony in March, when tech giants signed his so-called “Ratepayer Protection Pledge.” Months later, bills are still climbing, and there is still no enforcement mechanism, no penalty for breaking the pledge, and no guarantee that a single company will follow through.

This is shaping up to be just another photo-op with utility executives that won’t undo the damage Trump has already done to America’s grid. His administration has spent the last year and a half gutting the clean energy projects that could actually deliver the fast, cheap power needed to meet AI demand — while doing nothing to stop utilities from passing data center costs onto everyday ratepayers. His Cabinet also continues insisting that data centers are not increasing utility costs, so it is a phony solution to a problem they insist does not even exist.

A recently released joint analysis from Climate Power and the Center for American Progress Action Fund shows exactly why families have every reason to be skeptical. Four Trump policies — including his war on clean energy — have already cost the average household at least $2,072, including $213 from higher electricity bills after Trump and congressional Republicans’ budget gutted wind and solar tax credits, with prices now up 18% since he took office. 

Climate Power Senior Advisor Jesse Lee issued the following statement: “In the months since Trump announced his last toothless pledge about utility bills, they’ve only continued to skyrocket, now up a shocking 18% since he took office. In those five months, he has also spent $2.5 billion in tax dollars paying companies not to produce the cleaner, faster, more affordable energy that would have actually helped get this crisis under control. No amount of photo ops, infomercials, and backroom deals with his billionaire tech and utility donors is going to help. Trump needs to stop driving our energy costs through the roof while his oil and gas industry friends benefit, and end his blockade against homegrown clean energy once and for all.”