US President Donald Trump has pledged to ensure that major technology companies bear the cost of their rapidly growing electricity consumption, arguing that American households should not face higher power bills due to data centers fueling the artificial intelligence boom.
Trump said the US must remain the global leader in artificial intelligence and advanced computing, but stressed that this leadership should not come at the expense of consumers. He pointed to a sharp rise in household electricity costs, noting that the average price per kilowatt-hour has increased by roughly 40% over the past five years. According to Trump, agreements with large tech firms are being pursued to prevent these costs from being passed on to everyday Americans. Microsoft was cited as one of the first companies preparing operational changes to address power usage.
Data centers are consuming an increasingly large share of US electricity. In 2025, they accounted for 5.2% of total national power use, or about 224 terawatt-hours, reflecting a strong year-over-year increase. Forecasts suggest that by 2030, data centers could use nearly 12% of all US electricity, driven largely by AI workloads. Cooling systems alone can represent up to 40% of a facility’s total energy use.
Bitcoin mining, another power-intensive industry, continues to face scrutiny. However, recent analyses indicate no clear evidence that mining directly increases consumer electricity bills, while also highlighting its potential role in supporting renewable energy and reducing methane emissions.
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