House Could Vote on Bill to Curb Data Center-Related Utility Bill Hikes

According to CNBC, the House could vote as early as Tuesday night on a bipartisan bill aimed at limiting utility bill increases tied to data centers, with House Speaker Mike Johnson expected to bring the measure to the floor under suspension of the rules. The Ratepayer Protection Act would let state regulators require artificial intelligence data centers with demand of 100 megawatts or more to pay for new power sources, transmission lines and other infrastructure instead of passing those costs to consumers. Rep. Gabe Evans, a Colorado Republican, and Rep. Kathy Castor, a Florida Democrat, introduced the legislation in June, and the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter has labeled both of their races a toss-up. The bill would codify parts of President Donald Trump’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge released in March. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he supports the bill but said more needs to be done, while White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said the private sector is capable of addressing the risks posed by rapidly advancing AI.