The National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC) has announced an agreement aimed at expanding the U.S. energy supply, lowering costs, and supporting the growth of data centers. The announcement was made by NEDC Chairman and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Vice Chairman and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
Electricity prices in the PJM market, which includes the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Midwest, have increased more rapidly than most other regions in recent years. Officials attribute this trend to previous energy policies. In response, President Donald J. Trump and the NEDC have secured a deal with several states to advance over $15 billion in new power-generation projects intended to improve grid reliability and address rising demand from digital infrastructure.
A coalition of technology companies will fund these new generation facilities, meaning that costs related to increased data-center demand will be covered by industry rather than taxpayers. The initiative is described as a significant step toward reinforcing national energy infrastructure while keeping consumer energy costs low.
"For too long, the Green New Scam has left families in the dark with skyrocketing bills,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. “Today, under President Trump’s leadership, the National Energy Dominance Council has come up with a solution to end these high costs, roll back the Biden administration’s policies of energy scarcity and ensure we are powering the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Midwest’s future without charging its citizens a cent. This initiative will ensure we usher in the age of artificial intelligence with new power plants funded by the technology companies, not taxpayers, securing the steel of Pennsylvania, the manufacturing of Ohio and the ships of Virginia. The Trump administration is keeping the lights on, the factories humming and the American Dream affordable."
“High electricity prices are a choice,” said Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “The Biden administration’s forceful closures of coal and natural gas plants without reliable replacements left the United States in an energy emergency. Perhaps no region in America is more at risk than in PJM. That’s why President Trump asked governors across the Mid-Atlantic to come together and call upon PJM to allow America to build big reliable power plants again. Our directives will restore affordable and reliable electricity so American families thrive and America’s manufacturing industries once again boom. President Trump promised to unleash American energy and put the American people first. This plan keeps that promise."
This action follows a national energy emergency declared by President Trump at the start of his administration, which officials say was prompted by prior policy decisions they claim led to higher prices and greater vulnerability for consumers.
The agreement aims to lower residential customer bills, invest $15 billion into baseload power for improved grid reliability regardless of weather conditions, and protect major manufacturing sectors in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia.
President Trump’s administration says it intends for this shift toward reliable power generation to help maintain America's status as an industrial leader powered by domestic resources.
