President Donald Trump has joined those who believe data center developers should have the responsibility of producing their own power rather than relying on increased rates of customers of power providing utilities.
His public comments this week echoed a move by Rep. Brad Boles,R-Marlow, who filed a bill to protect ratepayers from the power boost demanded by data center developers.
The issue of data center opposition, especially in Oklahoma, caught the attention of the Washington Post as it reported on the President’s concern about the impact of data centers on ratepayers.
“We are the ‘HOTTEST’ Country in the World, and Number One in AI. Data Centers are key to that boom, and keeping Americans FREE and SECURE but, the big Technology Companies who build them must ‘pay their own way,’” Trump said Monday in a post on his Truth Social site, reported the Post, teasing Microsoft’s announcement of an initiative to address the issue and framing it as part of a broader effort by his administration.
The Post noted, “The community anger crosses the partisan divide. Conservative activists in ruby-red towns in Oklahoma have been circulating petitions demanding the firing of officials who sign nondisclosure agreements to negotiate terms with tech companies. And progressive groups such as the Democratic Socialists of America and the NAACP have rallied around data center opposition.”
The President said he intends to push Silicon Valley companies to make sure their computer farms and data centers do not result in increased rates for consumers.
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