The Washington Reporter and the Coalition for Affordability & Prosperity (CAP) are launching the Affordability First Data Center Index, a first-of-its-kind effort to rank data center developers based on how well they align with President Donald Trump’s executive order on energy, infrastructure, and AI buildout.
As the Reporter has covered in recent months, the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure is becoming a central issue on Capitol Hill.
The Index will evaluate companies on their performance in four core areas: (1) keeping energy costs low for local ratepayers, (2) investing in local jobs and workforce development, (3) addressing water constraints, and (4) working constructively with state and local officials.
Submissions will be solicited from companies, local stakeholders, and policymakers. Final rankings will be determined by a review panel that includes current and former congressional staff, management consulting alumni, and veterans of the Trump administration.
“This is about separating the companies that are doing this right from the ones that are pushing costs onto families and communities,” Chuck Flint, executive director of CAP, said. “The data center buildout is critical to America’s future, but it has to be done in a way that lowers costs, and advances affordability. That’s what we’re measuring.”
The project marks the first formal partnership between the Washington Reporter and CAP, a new conservative advocacy group focused on lowering costs for American families through free-market policies.
The Reporter and CAP will announce the top-ranked companies at a Washington, D.C. event in April, expected to draw senior congressional staff, administration officials, and industry leaders.
