House passes bipartisan bill on data center electricity costs

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that could make data centers pay for their own energy costs. The vote was 417-3. Right now, those costs often fall on ordinary electricity customers. The Ratepayer Protection Act was introduced by one Republican and one Democrat, showing rare cross-party support. It tells state regulators to consider new rules requiring data centers to cover the cost of power lines and other infrastructure they need. However, Congress cannot force states to follow these rules. Data center construction has grown quickly because of artificial intelligence, and many voters are worried about higher electricity bills. The bill still needs to pass the Senate and be signed by the president before it becomes law.