Prime Data Centers has joined the voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge, committing to finance the energy generation and electrical grid upgrades required for its facilities in the US rather than transferring expenses to local consumers and commercial users.
Established in March 2026, the framework includes utilities, electric cooperatives, state governors, AI firms, hyperscalers, and data centre developers.
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Together, participants in the initiative supply roughly 80% of all electricity delivered throughout the country.
Prime Data Centers has agreed to adhere to five operational standards across its American footprint.
The company will procure, construct, or supply the energy necessary to meet its facilities’ demands at its own expense. It will also cover the complete capital requirements for transmission enhancements and delivery works connected to its sites.
Furthermore, it will coordinate with regional utility providers and state regulatory bodies to formulate dedicated tariffs, guaranteeing payment for installed power capacity and associated hardware irrespective of actual consumption levels.
Prime Data Centers founder and CEO Nicholas Laag said: “Communities that host data centres should see the benefits of that investment, not higher electricity bills.
“Investing in the power and grid infrastructure required to support our developments is an essential element of responsible growth, and those costs should not fall on local ratepayers.
“This pledge reinforces our commitment to that principle and to working collaboratively with utilities, local governments and the communities in which we operate.”
In addition to capital commitments, the group will recruit staff from nearby populations, support workforce development programmes, and collaborate with transmission network operators to maintain grid stability. When power shortfalls occur, the company has agreed to release its reserve generation assets to the public grid where feasible.
The policy will apply directly across the firm’s national project pipeline, aligning capital expenditure with site power demands.
In May this year, Prime Data Centers began construction on the initial three data centres of a five-building Phoenix campus in Avondale, Arizona, US.
This opening phase consists of three 267,000ft² facilities, each providing 48MW of critical IT load.
