House Advances Bill to Limit AI Data Center Utility Costs

Summary

The U.S. House advanced the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act by a 417-3 vote, seeking to limit the effect of large AI data centers on consumers’ utility bills. The bill would establish standards that state regulators could adopt to require AI data centers with electricity demand of at least 100 megawatts to pay for new power sources, transmission lines and related infrastructure instead of passing those costs to ratepayers. The Senate has not taken action. The measure comes as opposition to expanding data centers becomes an issue in the 2026 midterm elections, with lawmakers from both parties seeking to demonstrate that they are addressing rising energy concerns. States and localities would retain primary authority over individual projects, and adoption of the proposed protections would be voluntary. The bill would codify parts of the White House’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge released in March. Supporters, including sponsor Gabe Evans and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, described it as a step toward preventing families from subsidizing corporate energy demand, while Speaker Mike Johnson said it would protect consumers without slowing U.S. AI development. Environmental and anti-data-center groups argued that states could ignore the measure because it lacks mandatory requirements. Food & Water Watch also said the bill could accelerate construction and give companies questionable ways to claim they are paying their own power costs. Other congressional AI actions mentioned in the article, including a proposed bill requiring an AI “kill switch,” had not yet produced comparable legislative action.