President Trump expands data center utility bill pledge

Summary by The Midland Editorial Desk · Based on reporting by Stetson Miller, KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) · July 24, 2026 · 2 min read

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - President Donald Trump on Thursday announced an expansion of his “Ratepayer Protection Pledge,” a commitment aimed at preventing data centers from driving up utility costs for consumers. The pledge, first signed on March 4 by seven companies, now includes 23 Republican gove...

Why this matters in The Midland

The expansion of President Trump's "Ratepayer Protection Pledge" has implications for Midland residents, who have seen a surge in data center development in the Permian Basin area. As data centers continue to grow in the region, concerns about rising utility costs for consumers have grown. The pledge, which now includes 23 Republican governors and 200 stakeholders, aims to prevent data centers from driving up these costs. While the pledge is voluntary, the involvement of key stakeholders and governors is a positive step. For Midland, this means that state leaders may work to pass legislation that protects ratepayers from shouldering the costs of data center infrastructure upgrades. Louisiana's deal with Meta, which will save ratepayers $2.6 billion, serves as a potential model for other states, including Texas. As the Permian Basin continues to attract data center investments, Midland residents will be watching to see how the pledge is implemented at the state level and what impact it will have on their utility bills.

About this story

Original reporting by KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS). The Midland surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page.

For the complete original report, visit KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS). Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom.

Category: local · Published: July 24, 2026 · Source: KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) · Reading time: 2 min

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This article was first published on July 24, 2026 by KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) and curated for The Midland readers.

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Summary created by	The Midland Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed
Original reporting	Stetson Miller, KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS)
Original story	Read at the source
Source published	Jul 24, 2026
Indexed here	Jul 24, 2026
AI assistance	Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text
Prepublication human review	No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples

President Trump expands data center utility bill pledge

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