Washington, DC—Responding to the expansion of the White House’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge to include utilities, governors, and state regulators, Danielle Russo, Executive Director of SAFE’s Center for Grid Security, gave the following statement:
“Yesterday’s expansion is a meaningful step forward. The original Pledge asked leading U.S. hyperscalers and AI companies to build, bring or buy the power they need and pay the full cost of the related energy infrastructure. Bringing utilities and governors into this framework makes the commitment to ratepayers more realistic and impactful.
Ratepayer protection only works if the parties who shape the ratemaking process are committed to it, not just the parties building the data centers. We welcome this expansion and encourage the state leaders and utilities now party to the Pledge to follow through.”
The expansion, announced July 23 at EPA headquarters, adds nearly 200 utilities, developers, cooperatives, and states to the Pledge, which now covers 80 percent of the power delivered to U.S. homes and businesses. SAFE’s Center for Grid Security has tracked ratepayer protection policy as data center-driven demand reshapes grid planning nationwide.
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About SAFE
SAFE is an action-oriented, nonpartisan organization committed to transportation, energy, and supply chain policies that advance the economic and national security of the United States, its partners, and allies. Since 2004, SAFE has worked with its Energy Security Leadership Council — a coalition of current and former Fortune 500 CEOs and retired four-star admirals and generals — to support secure, resilient, and sustainable energy solutions. Learn more at SecureEnergy.org.
