Trump’s Empty “Pledges” on Data Centers Won’t Lower Costs for America’s Families

Trump promised to cut energy bills in half in his first year in office – instead, they spiked 13% as he’s slashed investment in solar and wind

Climate Power and Blue Rose Research polling shows voters only support data centers in their communities if they are powered with clean energy

Washington, DC – In a desperate attempt to do damage control around skyrocketing utility prices ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Donald Trump is convening tech CEOs to “pledge” that they’ll build or buy their own power supplies to run new AI data centers. The meeting comes just days after Trump launched a military action in Iran that is sending gas prices soaring, and more than a year into his war on clean energy that has gutted 357 projects and taken cheaper, faster renewable energy off the grid at a time when Americans need more affordable energy sources. 

Trump’s toothless pledge won’t lower anyone’s utility bills. Trump’s push to ban solar and wind energy means America will never be able to keep up with increasing demand from AI and data centers, and utility rates will keep skyrocketing. 

Polling from Climate Power and Blue Rose Research shows that Americans are deeply concerned about the impact of data centers on increased utility costs and energy consumption. In fact, respondents support data centers powered by clean energy by a +25-point margin and oppose those powered by fossil fuels by a 16-point margin. 

Climate Power Senior Advisor Jesse Lee issued the following statement: “Trump’s promises on data centers are as empty as his promises about cutting energy costs in half and no new wars. While he makes backroom deals with tech billionaires on toothless ‘pledges’, he is actively gutting the only power source that can meet data center demand cheaply and quickly. His demand that data centers use only gas and coal will actually make utility bills even more expensive. Trump created a homegrown energy crisis and now he’s making it even worse by starting an ongoing military conflict that is already spiking oil prices.” 

Energy costs are soaring under Trump’s watch. Data centers will push prices even higher and make America’s families sicker : 

• Electricity prices spiked by up to 13% in communities nationwide, with the average U.S. household paying $116 more on its electricity bills in 2025 than in 2024.

• Since the beginning of his second term, utility companies have raised or sought to raise rates on American families by at least $92 billion, resulting in higher bills for at least 112 million electric customers and 52 million gas customers.

• Trump’s clean energy cuts are expected to increase electricity rates by up to 18% by 2035, resulting in an additional annual $170 increase in household energy bills.

• Trump gutted assistance for families struggling to afford their utility costs, firing all LIHEAP employees and delaying billions in LIHEAP funding for weeks during and after his government shutdown. 

• Tech companies specifically lobbied against the clean energy cuts in the Republican budget bill, saying “energy is the pacing challenge of our industry.”

• A recent study linked data center pollution to breathing problems and premature death for residents living nearby.