The House Energy and Commerce Committee is planning to vote next week on bipartisan legislation to prevent data centers from raising electric utility bills, according to details shared with POLITICO.
The Ratepayer Protection Act, H.R. 9340, will be the first among several bills considered in a sprawling markup that will begin Monday and pick up again Tuesday morning, when votes on the legislation will occur.
Republican leaders are eager to move on the bill before their lengthy summer recess, as a means to show voters ahead of the midterms that they have concrete proposals to address electricity rate hikes tied to surging data center demand.
“I agree with constituents who have raised concerns about electricity affordability: hardworking Americans shouldn’t foot the bill for power going to data centers,” Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) told POLITICO in a statement. “The Ratepayer Protection Act ensures that the companies building and using data centers pay the full cost of connecting it to the grid.”
