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Trump Administration Urges Tech Firms to Fund Power Plants

1/20/2026

Center

Trump Proposes Energy Plan

U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration propose that tech companies finance new power plants to curb rising electricity costs and support AI development.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright and governors from 13 states proposed an emergency auction for long-term electricity contracts via PJM Interconnection to secure up to 7.5 gigawatts of capacity at about $15 billion.
Concerns persist that data centers could raise electricity prices, with some areas reporting a 267% increase.

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Trump Addresses Energy Costs

On January 20, 2026, The Guardian's Blake Montgomery reported that U.S. President Donald Trump fears rising electricity costs from datacenters could affect his party's prospects.
He announced that tech companies must pay full property taxes for their datacenters.
The U.S. administration blocks renewable energy projects while pushing fossil fuel expansion, raising electricity-cost concerns.
In Europe, Germany and the United Kingdom face datacenter-growth challenges amid high energy costs, prompting varied government responses.

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Trump Proposes Energy Plan

U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration propose that tech companies finance new power plants to curb rising electricity costs and support AI development.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright and governors from 13 states proposed an emergency auction for long-term electricity contracts via PJM Interconnection to secure up to 7.5 gigawatts of capacity at about $15 billion.
Concerns persist that data centers could raise electricity prices, with some areas reporting a 267% increase.

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