President Donald Trump on Monday called on technology companies to assume full responsibility for the energy costs of their expanding data centers, which he said contribute to rising utility bills in several states.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “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, in the form of paying higher Utility bills.” He indicated further announcements would follow.
Data centers have increased utility bills in at least 13 states, according to previous reporting by Business Insider.
Microsoft has recently announced new data centers planned in Wisconsin, Atlanta, Texas, and Michigan. Neither the White House nor Microsoft responded immediately to requests for comment.
The Trump administration has prioritized artificial intelligence infrastructure as part of its broader tech strategy. In early 2025, Trump announced the Stargate Project—a $500 billion initiative involving OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank—to build AI infrastructure. By 2026, construction on at least one Stargate data center had begun in Texas.
These facilities require significant power. OpenAI’s data center development alone is expected to cost $400 billion and consume seven gigawatts of power—more than the total used by New York City, Business Insider reported.
Some companies are relocating data centers off the main power grid to ease permitting and reduce local opposition. In response to high demand, utilities in states such as Indiana and Ohio have begun imposing tariffs on energy-heavy tech facilities to shield residents and small businesses from rate increases.
