US House advances first bill addressing economic impact of data center boom
- The House advanced the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act under suspension of the rules, allowing state regulators to require AI data centers using 100 megawatts or more to fund new power and transmission infrastructure rather than shifting costs to consumers.
- President Donald Trump's March 'Ratepayer Protection Pledge' inspired the legislation, which codifies federal guardrails for local utility costs. This reflects bipartisan consensus to address resident concerns over data center expansion ahead of the 2026 elections.
- Rep. Evans and Rep. Kathy Castor introduced the legislation in June to address skyrocketing electric bills in Florida. Castor said, 'Ratepayers should not have to subsidize wealthy corporations' growing energy demands, especially from AI data centers.'
- Environmental advocates criticized the measure, with Sara Chieffo, senior vice president of government affairs at LCV, calling it a 'weak directive' that regulators might ignore. Mitch Jones of Food & Water Watch argued it fails to address the 'AI data center crisis.'
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the bill 'a step forward' but urged Republicans to extend the session beyond Thursday to address broader AI concerns before the seven-week recess leading to the Nov. 3 election.
108 Articles
108 Articles
Ratepayer Protection Act: Shielding Households from Rising Power Costs
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Ratepayer Protection Act to safeguard households from electricity costs linked to data center expansion. With a vote of 417 to three, the Act urges states to consider if large power users should bear infrastructure costs, amidst debates over data center growth's economic impact.
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Seong-han = On the 16th (local time), the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to prevent electricity rates for ordinary households from rising due to the construction of data centers...
Bill to Make Data Centers Buy Their Own Energy Clears House
Just before leaving town, House lawmakers voted to keep power-hungry data centers from ticking their nearbors with their energy bill. In a 417-3 vote on Wednesday, the House approved the bipartisan Ratepayers Protection Act, which pushes energy grid upgrade costs for new, artificial intelligence data centers on the companies that...
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