The White House has asked major technology companies to make formal pledges ensuring that the rapid expansion of data centers will not lead to higher electricity bills for American households, amid growing concern over the massive energy demand required by the expansion of artificial intelligence.

The US administration has reached out to major firms such as Microsoft and Alphabet — both of which have strongly supported its policies — to discuss signing voluntary, non-binding agreements in which companies commit to “covering their own costs” while building new AI infrastructure.

A key element of the proposal would require operators of large-scale data centers to bear 100% of the costs of building new power plants and upgrading electricity grids needed to run their facilities. Companies would also be asked to sign long-term electricity contracts to ensure that consumers are not left carrying the financial burden if demand declines or projects fail.

The initiative aims to address concerns that AI-driven growth, with its huge electricity requirements, could place additional strain on US power grids that are already facing operational constraints.

Federal projections suggest that electricity demand from data centers could triple between 2025 and 2028, adding significant pressure to aging regional grids. Electricity prices in some areas have already risen faster than overall inflation, while wholesale energy prices continue to climb, making household utility bills an increasingly sensitive political issue ahead of midterm elections in November.

During his election campaign, President Donald Trump pledged to halve electricity prices within 18 months of taking office, but residential electricity costs have continued to rise gradually. In a previous post on Truth Social, the president said data centers are essential for AI development but insisted technology companies must pay their own way.

A voluntary, non-binding agreement

The proposed deal would not be legally binding, and officials have noted that the draft proposal could still change. However, policymakers believe public commitments could create accountability and demonstrate to voters that the government is trying to prevent AI infrastructure from increasing living costs.

Under the initial framework, tech companies would work with federal and local regulators to structure energy agreements designed to protect residential consumers as much as possible. Beyond electricity prices, data center developers would also be expected to ensure new sites are “water positive,” minimize noise and traffic congestion, and support local education and community initiatives.

The proposal comes as some US cities and states — including Atlanta and New Orleans — have begun placing restrictions on new data center developments, while more than 20 projects were delayed or canceled in January due to community opposition.

Microsoft has already announced it will cover additional infrastructure costs related to its data center plans, while AI company Anthropic recently said taxpayers should not bear the financial burden of AI expansion.

Some industry operators, however, have pushed back, arguing that they already pay the full cost of their electricity usage and that properly designed tariff structures can protect consumers.

In the United Kingdom, energy regulator Ofgem has launched a review of electricity grid connection queues after receiving requests exceeding 50 gigawatts related to data center projects — more than Britain’s current peak daily demand.

The regulator warned that rising demand for grid connections could delay other critical energy projects. Planning applications for data centers in the UK reached a record high in 2025, with more than 60 new applications submitted in England and Wales, up 63% from 2024.

Copper prices rose during Friday’s trading, heading toward a seventh consecutive month of gains, supported by optimism surrounding global demand growth.

The most-active copper futures contract on the London Metal Exchange climbed 1.3% to $13,478 per ton at 01:47 p.m. Makkah time, after touching its highest level since February 4 at $13,496 per ton.

Data released after the Lunar New Year holiday in China showed copper inventories in Shanghai Futures Exchange warehouses rising to their highest level in nearly 10 years, reaching 391.5 thousand tons, up 44% from levels seen two weeks earlier.

UBS raised its copper price forecasts by $500 per metric ton across all time horizons, projecting prices could reach $15,000 per metric ton by the end of March 2027. The bank maintained its positive outlook, recommending that investors keep long-term long positions in the industrial metal.

The investment bank expects copper prices to rise on a yearly basis despite caution in the near term. The recent price rally has paused temporarily, with elevated levels expected to persist through 2026, while seasonal economic slowdown around the Chinese Lunar New Year contributed to a period of price consolidation.

Supply and demand forecast revision

UBS updated its supply and demand forecasts based on the latest available data. The bank now expects a slightly smaller supply deficit in 2025 of around 200,000 metric tons, compared with a previous estimate of 230,000 tons.

At the same time, it raised its forecast for the 2026 supply deficit to 520,000 metric tons, up from a prior estimate of 407,000 tons. The widening supply gap remains one of the key factors supporting a bullish medium-term outlook for copper prices.

The bank reaffirmed its recommendation for clients to maintain long positions in copper based on revised supply-demand fundamentals, noting that its updated outlook implies prices will stay elevated throughout 2026.

Decline in Chilean output

On the production side, data from Chile’s national statistics agency showed that copper output in the world’s largest producer declined 3% year-on-year in January to 413,712 metric tons.

Industrial production in the Andes nation also fell 3.8% during the same month compared with a year earlier, indicating continued pressure on the global supply side of the metal.

In US trading hours, May copper futures were up 1.2% by 16:00 GMT at $6.07 per pound.

Bitcoin is facing strong technical pressure as it struggles to break through three key resistance levels at the same time, while the end of the current bear market may depend on its ability to clear these barriers during March.

Struggle with three major resistance levels

Data from TradingView showed that the BTC/USD pair was trading near $67,720 after facing rejection at the psychological $70,000 level.

Analysis of the current market structure indicates that several technical obstacles have clustered together to form a strong resistance zone, including:

the 200-week exponential moving average at $68,330

the previous all-time high from 2021 at $69,000

the psychological $70,000 level

Bitcoin failed to reclaim any of these levels after rallying to $70,040 on Wednesday.

Analyst known as Captain Faibik said the cryptocurrency needs a weekly candle close above the 200-week EMA to maintain bullish momentum. He added that if this condition is met, a rebound toward $80,000 could be expected in the coming days, noting that March may turn out to be a bullish month.

Cointelegraph previously reported that the bear market could end if Bitcoin manages to break above the average cost basis of holders in the 18–24 month age band, located around $74,500.

Five consecutive months of losses

Historical data from CoinGlass shows that Bitcoin is heading toward recording a fifth consecutive monthly loss after falling 14% during February. The last time the asset experienced a similar losing streak was at the end of 2018, during the peak of the previous bear market.

An analyst known as Alex said Bitcoin is approaching a rare bearish sequence, noting that the previous instance in 2018–2019 was followed by five strong green monthly candles and a fourfold rally.

After declining 57% between August 2018 and January 2019, Bitcoin recorded five consecutive months of gains, rising 317% from $3,329 to $13,880.

If historical patterns repeat, a trend reversal could begin in April, especially as selling pressure approaches levels that suggest market exhaustion.

Oil prices rose by more than $1 per barrel on Friday, as traders remained on alert over potential supply disruptions after the United States and Iran agreed to extend nuclear negotiations.

Brent crude futures climbed $1.38, or 1.95%, to $72.13 per barrel by 11:10 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude rose $1.40, or 2.15%, to $66.61 per barrel.

Tamas Varga, oil analyst at brokerage PVM, said uncertainty continues to dominate the market, with fears pushing prices higher, noting that current moves are entirely driven by the outcome of the Iranian nuclear talks and the possibility of US military action against Tehran.

Limited weekly gains

On a weekly basis, Brent crude is heading for a modest gain of about 0.2%, while West Texas Intermediate is set for a marginal decline of 0.1%.

The United States and Iran held indirect talks in Geneva on Thursday, after US President Donald Trump ordered a military buildup in the region.

During the negotiations, oil prices jumped by more than $1 per barrel following media reports suggesting discussions had stalled due to Washington’s insistence on a full halt to Iran’s uranium enrichment. However, gains were trimmed after the Omani mediator announced progress in the talks.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said both sides plan to resume negotiations next week, with technical-level discussions scheduled to take place in Vienna.

Suvro Sarkar, analyst at DBS Bank, said the latest round of talks provides some hope for a peaceful resolution, but stressed that military strikes remain a possible scenario.

Trump stated on February 19 that Iran must reach a deal on its nuclear program within 10 to 15 days, otherwise “very bad things” would happen.

Sarkar estimated that the geopolitical risk premium currently embedded in oil prices ranges between $8 and $10 per barrel, amid fears that any conflict could disrupt Middle East supply flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles around 20% of global oil supply.

Saudi moves and OPEC+ meeting in focus

To mitigate the impact of a potential strike, informed sources said Saudi Arabia is working to increase oil production and exports.

At the same time, OPEC+ is expected to consider raising output by about 137,000 barrels per day for April during its meeting scheduled for March 1, after previously pausing production increases in the first quarter of the year.