As the Florida legislature reviews possible regulations of AI and data center expansion in the state, President Trump said in his 2026 State of the Union address that major tech companies must develop their own electricity generation for AI data centers to shield residents from higher utility bills and enable potential reductions.
The initiative, known as the ratepayer protection pledge, addresses concerns that increased energy demands from AI data centers could drive up utility bills for Americans. According to the Associated Press, the pledge requires technology companies to construct their own power plants alongside their facilities, ensuring no price increases for communities and possibly lowering costs substantially. This approach is intended to tackle grid limitations by having companies produce their own electricity.
In his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump said his administration is requiring major technology companies expanding AI and data center operations to meet their own energy needs to avoid raising electricity costs for consumers. “We’re telling the major tech companies that they have the obligation to provide for their own power needs,” Trump said, adding that companies can “build their own power plants as part of their factory, so that no one’s prices will go up and in many cases, prices of electricity will go down for the community.” He said the policy would “ensure the company’s ability to get electricity, while at the same time lowering prices of electricity for you,” predicting that “for all of these cities and towns, you’re going to see some good things happen over the next number of years.”
Florida lawmakers are moving this session to impose new restrictions on large AI-related data centers — including requiring technology companies to cover utility costs and limiting where facilities can be located — as part of broader AI oversight efforts backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, even as the White House under President Donald Trump has pushed back on state-by-state regulation in favor of a national framework, WPEC reports. Meanwhile, polling by Associated Industries of Florida shows 64 percent of Florida voters support data center development to lower property taxes and protect critical data, including 77 percent of Republicans, 70 percent of Hispanic voters and 74 percent of seniors.
The Trump administration has also issued executive orders related to artificial intelligence policy. According to the White House, one order establishes a framework designed to maintain U.S. dominance in AI by minimizing regulatory burdens and preempting conflicting state laws. Another executive order accelerates federal permitting for data center infrastructure projects by streamlining environmental reviews and making federal lands available for such developments as outlined by the administration.
