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President Donald Trump, addressing American voter concerns about rising electricity prices, said his administration had been in talks with Microsoft Corp to ensure that consumers \u201cdon\u2019t pick up the tab\u201d for enormous data centers.<\/p>\n
In a Truth Social post, he added that while the data centers \u201care key\u201d to the artificial intelligence boom, the \u201cbig Technology Companies who build them must \u2018pay their own way.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
He said that Microsoft would make \u201cmajor changes,\u201d but was not specific. Power prices have risen above the pace of overall inflation, heightening complaints about the cost of energy and other essentials.<\/p>\n
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Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump\u2019s post on Monday evening. However, Microsoft\u2019s Vice Chair and President Brad Smith plans to make an announcement at an event in Washington on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
While the Trump administration has championed data centers in the country\u2019s artificial intelligence race with China, surging utility bills linked in part to this rapid buildout now threatens the Republican majority in Congress. It has also vexed operators and regulators of US power grids: they must to sort how to divvy up this expense and still ensure reliable \u2014 and sufficient \u2014 electricity.<\/p>\n
\u201cMicrosoft has worked with communities to harness the power of technology to build a better future,\u201d the company said in a statement announcing the event, before Trump\u2019s post.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs America approaches its 250th anniversary, the country is entering a new era of opportunity shaped by the power of AI. This moment raises fundamental questions about the future we build together \u2013 who benefits from AI, its potential impacts, and who should bear the cost of critical AI infrastructure?\u201d<\/p>\n
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Polls show that Americans take a dim view of the president\u2019s stewardship of the economy during his second term, and in this past November\u2019s elections, Democrats campaigning on a promise to lower utility bills swept key races in New Jersey, Virginia and Georgia. That issue will continue to resonate as Republicans and Democrats contest the midterm elections this November.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Trump will visit a Ford Motor Co factory in Michigan and deliver a speech at the Detroit Economic Club intended to promote his tariff and manufacturing policies, and address voter unease.<\/p>\n
\u00a9 2026 Bloomberg<\/p>\n
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