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The U.S. House of Representatives passed sweeping bipartisan legislation on Wednesday to protect consumers from rising energy costs linked to new data center construction. The Ratepayers Protection Act cleared the chamber by an overwhelming 417-3 vote, placing the financial burden of power infrastructure upgrades on tech companies rather than local utility customers.
Republican leaders brought the bill to the floor under a suspension procedure, which required two-thirds support from voting lawmakers. The measure passed easily, with opposition coming only from progressive Democrats Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, Delia Ramirez of Illinois, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
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What the Bill Would Do
Reps. Gabe Evans, a Colorado Republican, and Kathy Castor, a Florida Democrat, co-sponsored the legislation. Both serve on the Energy and Commerce Committee. The bill targets the growing cost concerns surrounding large, high-power data centers that require significant upgrades to local power grids.
Specifically, the legislation would establish a federal standard for state utility regulators to follow. Under that standard, data center companies — not consumers — would cover the costs of power generation, transmission lines, and other infrastructure improvements needed to operate their facilities.
Evans said the bill reflects a basic principle of fairness. “Hardworking families should not have to subsidize the energy demands of data centers,” he said after the vote. “America needs the infrastructure to lead the world in AI and outcompete Communist China, but we cannot have that growth at the expense of hardworking families, farmers, seniors, and small businesses.”
Data Centers Emerge as a Campaign Issue
Data centers have become a flashpoint in communities across the country. A recent NBC News Decision Desk poll powered by SurveyMonkey found that nearly 70% of respondents oppose data center construction in their neighborhood. Of those, 45% said they were strongly opposed.
Evans and other vulnerable House Republicans had pushed GOP leadership for a vote before the November midterm elections. Cook Political Report rates Evans’ race against Democratic state Rep. Manny Rutinel in Colorado as a toss-up, making the issue politically significant for him personally.
President Donald Trump has strongly supported new data center construction, arguing it is essential for U.S. artificial intelligence companies to compete with China. However, voters in swing districts have pushed back. Many communities have begun actively organizing against new data center projects.
The bill was one of several energy-related measures the House considered in its final week before the November 3 midterm elections. The votes come as oil prices remain above $100 a barrel and inflation continues to rank as a top concern for voters heading into Election Day.
Democrats Back the Bill but Call It Insufficient
Many Democrats voted in favor of the measure. However, several made clear they viewed it as a bare minimum response to a much larger problem.
Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas, who represents El Paso, told NBC News before the vote that her constituents are deeply frustrated. “Our communities and the people in our districts are so outraged, and they are understandably very angry that Congress isn’t doing enough,” she said. She voted yes but called the bill “truly the bare minimum.” She added, “It’s kind of pathetic that all we’re going to do is make them pay their own energy costs.”
Escobar also stressed that unwanted data centers are arriving in communities that have clearly rejected them. “My community does not want data centers, loudly and clearly, and I agree with my community,” she said.
Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan, who leads the Democrats’ policy and communications arm, also voted yes. Still, she said the bill is “not enough in any way, shape or form.”
Former Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal of Washington supported the bill as well. Even so, she raised concerns about the broader political context. She pointed to Trump’s recent comments dismissing serious AI safety warnings as a “hoax.” Jayapal warned against treating the bill as a comprehensive solution. “This is the same party that has a president that says that the AI threat is a hoax,” she said. She called the legislation “a direct contradiction to what their president is continuing to say in opposing any real regulation.”
Senate Action Remains Uncertain
The Ratepayers Protection Act is the only AI-related bill that Congress scheduled for a vote this week. Meanwhile, lawmakers are also weighing warnings from former AI industry employees about the technology’s potential dangers. The bill does not address those concerns directly.
The Senate’s next steps remain unclear. The upper chamber has its own set of data center bills but has not advanced any of them. With the House completing its final votes before the midterms and the Senate remaining in Washington for only a few more weeks, further action on AI policy is unlikely before at least the post-election lame-duck session.
