23 governors sign President Trump's cost pledge for data centers

Key Points:

• President Donald Trump will announce that 23 Republican governors have signed his Ratepayer Protection Pledge, aimed at preventing households from bearing utility cost increases linked to rapidly expanding AI data centers.
• The pledge, supported by nearly 200 stakeholders including major utilities and data center developers, commits signatories to protect consumers from price hikes due to data center energy demands.
• Notable governors who signed include Kay Ivey (AL), Brian Kemp (GA), Greg Abbott (TX), and Mike DeWine (OH), while no Democrats and three Republican governors, including Ron DeSantis (FL), have not signed.
• Data centers face local opposition due to their large size, noise, and high utility consumption, which critics say raise costs for nearby residents despite their importance to AI and tech infrastructure.
• Trump promotes data centers as economic growth drivers and criticizes states like New York for pausing construction, emphasizing the need to maintain U.S. leadership in AI amid global competition.