President Trump urged tech companies to cover the electricity costs of their data centers so American households don't face higher utility bills, naming Microsoft as the first company cooperating with the White House. The announcement comes as the U.S. ramps up AI infrastructure through the roughly $500 billion Stargate Project, which already has at least one data center under construction in Texas. Regulators and utilities in several states are also taking actions — including tariffs and permitting rules — to limit rate impacts on consumers.
Trump Says Microsoft Will Help Ensure Americans Don’t 'Pick Up The Tab' For Data Center Power
Trump says that Microsoft will 'ensure' Americans don't 'pick up the tab' for its data center power consumption
President Donald Trump urged technology companies to "pay their own way" for the electricity consumed by their data centers, saying consumers should not bear higher utility bills as the U.S. expands AI infrastructure.
On Truth Social, Trump singled out Microsoft as the first company cooperating with his administration. He wrote that his team has been working with the firm and that it "will make major changes beginning this week to ensure that Americans don't 'pick up the tab' for their POWER consumption, in the form of paying higher Utility bills," and he hinted at additional announcements in the coming weeks.
"First up is Microsoft, who my team has been working with, and which will make major changes beginning this week to ensure that Americans don't 'pick up the tab' for their POWER consumption..." — President Donald Trump (Truth Social)
Business Insider previously reported that data centers have contributed to utility bill increases in at least 13 states. Over the past year, Microsoft has planned data center projects in Wisconsin, the Atlanta area, Texas and Michigan.
Why This Matters
Large-scale data center buildouts are energy-intensive. The administration's push to have Big Tech self-fund energy needs coincides with an ambitious U.S. AI infrastructure effort known as the Stargate Project — a joint venture announced by the White House and reported to involve OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank, with an estimated value of roughly $500 billion. As of 2026, at least one Stargate-related data center is reportedly under construction in Texas.
Business Insider has also reported that OpenAI’s planned data center investments could total roughly $400 billion and require about seven gigawatts of power — a demand the outlet said would exceed the electricity supply of New York City.
In response to rising local demand and community concerns, some companies are exploring off-grid designs for new facilities to ease permitting and local opposition. Meanwhile, utilities in states such as Indiana and Ohio have begun imposing tariffs or special rates on high-demand tech facilities to protect residents and small businesses from potential rate increases.
Neither the White House nor Microsoft immediately responded to requests for comment on the president's post or the company's reported plans. The administration's statements signal a broader push to hold large tech projects financially accountable for their energy impacts as AI infrastructure expands.
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