Pledge Expands to Include TVA and GOP Governors

The White House’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge, a voluntary initiative backed by President Trump, aims to prevent residential electric bills from rising due to AI data centers by requiring large users to pay for the power infrastructure they need; signatories include utilities, governors, and major tech and data-center developers. Tennessee Valley Authority, along with private firms and roughly two dozen Republican governors, signed on, with TVA emphasizing that data-center costs should not be borne by its 10 million customers. The pledge is nonbinding and lacks an enforcement mechanism, instead relying on developers and utilities to fund new generation, transmission, and upgrades as needed. Signatories span Kentucky, Minnesota, Indiana, and other states, including major utilities and hyperscalers, reflecting a broad, but still voluntary, sector-wide push to reassure the public that AI growth won’t inflate household bills. Polls show ongoing public concern about data centers, even as officials argue these facilities bring economic benefits and jobs. Critics warn that even with the pledge, actual bill impacts depend on regulatory decisions and the evolving demand for electricity, making long-term savings unclear while the AI build-out continues.