Kelly Armstrong Joins Trump Pledge to Protect Energy Ratepayers

North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong joined 21 other governors in signing a policy pledge organized by the administration of President Donald Trump. The agreement aims to protect residential and business electricity ratepayers from the financial burdens associated with rapid data center expansion.

Under the terms of the pledge, data center operators must fully fund their own power supplies, grid upgrades, and reserved energy capacity. Compliant policies require these companies to build or purchase new generation resources, cover all network upgrade costs, hire local workers, and share backup power with regional grid operators to mitigate the risk of blackouts.

The initiative addresses electricity rate concerns raised by Republican populists and Democratic-NPL candidates. However, the pledge does not resolve issues concerning water consumption, the autonomy of local government permitting, or the requirement for surety bonds to manage the dismantling of abandoned projects. Applied Digital, a major operator in North Dakota, is cited as largely complying with these terms at its Ellendale campus.