Devin Hartman is director of energy and environmental policy at R Street Institute. Kent Chandler is resident senior fellow, energy and environmental policy, at the R Street Institute.
Last month, President Trump issued a Ratepayer Protection Pledge that called on hyperscalers and artificial intelligence companies to “build, bring, or buy all of the energy” needed for data centers.
The policy stat...
The Ratepayer Protection Pledge calls on technology companies to self-fund their energy needs for data centers. While this reflects a focus on infrastructure expansion and avoiding rate increases for everyday Americans, experts question whether it will deliver significant relief due to longstanding policy choices and economic fundamentals. The pledge's implementation faces challenges from cost-of-service utilities, whose business model is predicated on socializing costs and risks among customers...