Summary
President Donald Trump announced plans to work with U.S. tech companies to prevent increases in electricity bills linked to AI data centers. Microsoft is the first company to commit to this effort, aiming to cover utility costs in some areas. This move responds to concerns that data centers significantly increase local utility bills.
Key Facts
- President Trump is working with tech leaders to prevent higher electricity bills due to AI data centers.
- Microsoft is the first company to commit to this initiative, planning changes to manage costs.
- The U.S. has the most data centers globally, with high electricity use contributing to increased local utility bills.
- Data centers in the U.S. used 183 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024, over 4% of the nation's total electricity consumption.
- Three U.S. senators are investigating if tech companies are passing data center costs to consumers.
- Senate letters question companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta regarding utility cost hikes.
- Microsoft plans to cover some local utility costs, such as in Wisconsin, but has not committed to doing so nationwide.
