Summary
Some big tech companies are planning to sign an agreement to cover their own electricity costs, instead of passing them onto consumers, during a visit to the White House. This agreement, called a "ratepayer protection pledge" by President Trump, involves companies like OpenAI and Amazon, but details on how it will be enforced are unclear.
Key Facts
- Tech companies will meet at the White House to sign a "ratepayer protection pledge."
- Companies expected to join include OpenAI, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, xAI, and Oracle.
- The pledge aims to ensure tech companies cover their electricity costs, not consumers.
- Energy cost regulations are primarily controlled at the state and regional levels.
- Some states already require data centers to pay for their electricity.
- FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) and DOE (Department of Energy) are working on related policies.
- Current power market rules allocate costs to the customers who cause them, to avoid cross-subsidizing.
