The House passed the Ratepayer Protection Act on Wednesday in a 417-3 vote, marking the first data center-related bill passed in the 119th Congress.
The bill would require large data centers that consume 100 megawatts or more to pay the full extra cost of generation, transmission and distribution upgrades built to serve them. It also would require companies to make financial assurances if a project is canceled or moved, so communities are not left with the bill.
Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., who sponsored the measure with Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., said it is meant to keep data center costs from spilling over to local communities. Evans said Colorado families, farmers and small businesses should not be forced to cover the cost of new power generation driven by these projects.
The bill does not ban data centers, set limits on expansion or establish federal regulatory guidelines. Instead, it amends existing energy law so states must consider a federal standard.
Some Democrats still say that is not enough. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., said she would vote no because it 'fails to meaningfully protect our communities.' She called for a national moratorium on data centers and a prohibition on federal lands.
Why it matters: data centers are becoming a political proxy for affordability, energy and regulation. The House vote shows both parties see the risk of letting taxpayer-backed infrastructure costs land on households and small businesses.
The big picture: the AI race is colliding with the power bill. Washington is moving toward a model where the companies driving the boom pay more of the tab, not ratepayers.