Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio) participated in a roundtable at the White House with President Donald Trump, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, congressional members, and technology industry leaders to discuss strategies for reducing energy costs in communities near data centers.
The meeting focused on ensuring that major technology and artificial intelligence companies are responsible for funding their own electricity needs for new data centers. This approach aims to prevent the cost of increased energy demand from being passed on to consumers.
“In places like Ohio, this work matters. If America wants economic and national security dominance, we must lead in technology and AI to stay ahead of adversaries like China. But, this innovation requires energy and Ohio families are concerned about the impact on their own bills. I’m grateful to those who signed the Ratepayer Protection Pledge today and to the president for making this happen for working Ohio families,” said Husted.
He added, “Requiring companies to fund their own power protects working people from higher bills. I was honored to join the president and his administration at the White House as we work to deliver stable, reliable and affordable energy for the future.”
The United States is currently experiencing an increase in electricity demand due to rapid technological growth and more domestic manufacturing activity. These factors are putting pressure on the electric grid and contributing to rising energy prices.
President Trump introduced the Ratepayer Protection Pledge during his State of the Union address on February 24, 2026. The pledge commits companies such as Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, xAI, Oracle, and OpenAI to provide or purchase their own power supply for new AI data centers. The goal is to ensure that Americans’ electricity bills do not rise as demand increases.
The initiative is expected to help lower electricity costs overall while strengthening grid infrastructure and improving resilience during emergencies.
