White House · Republicans · Donald Trump · CBS News Technology
Other estimates have found the facilities could gobble up more than 10% of U.S. power demand by 2030
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Those worries have prompted backlash against data center development at the state and local level and political headaches for both parties nationally, adding to broader political uncertainty about the AI boom.
Key facts
- The bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act cleared the House in a 417 to 3 vote
- Other estimates have found the facilities could gobble up more than 10% of U.S. power demand by 2030
- Several Republicans facing tough reelection bids signed on as cosponsors in recent weeks, as affordability and AI issues are central themes in the 2026 campaign
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, on Monday called the legislation "a step forward" but said "more clearly needs
Summary
Washington, The House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed legislation aimed at protecting Americans from shouldering the potential costs of data centers on their electricity bills. The bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act cleared the House in a 417 to 3 vote. Its passage comes as lawmakers are under pressure to address soaring energy costs that have been partly attributed to the data center boom driven by the AI race. The bill was introduced by GOP Rep. Evans' measure seeks to force tech companies to pay for the costs of the new energy infrastructure that serves the data centers, instead of passing costs on to consumers.