WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives is preparing to vote on a bipartisan bill aimed at preventing Americans' energy bills from spiking because of nearby data centers, according to Speaker Mike Johnson's office.
Republicans plan to bring the Ratepayer Protection Act to the House floor for a vote next week. It's expected to be considered "under suspension," a fast-tracked process that means leadership is confident the legislation can pass.
The decision to call up the bill during the chamber's handful of days left in session ahead of the November midterm elections reflects an acknowledgment by lawmakers of intensifying grassroots angst about artificial intelligence – especially the energy-sucking impacts of data center infrastructure.
The Ratepayer
Protection Act would require state utility regulators to consider rules to ensure that data centers "recover the full, incremental cost" of energy grid upgrades. The shift would help shield local ratepayers' monthly electricity bills from hikes, according to the lawmakers sponsoring the legislation.
The bill passed unanimously out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in July. At the time, Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, the panel's chairman, touted it as a way to force data centers to "pay their own way."
"This bipartisan common sense legislation ensures the companies creating new demand for electricity pay for the infrastructure they require," said Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colorado, one of the bill's main sponsors alongside Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Florida.
AI comes into Congress' crosshairs
The latest round of warnings from AI scientists about the emerging technology's rapidly advancing capabilities have created fresh panic among members of Congress in recent days. After an Anthropic researcher publicly resigned on Sept. 8, saying advanced AI could "kill us all by the end of the decade," both Republicans and Democrats began calling for emergency hearings.
House Democrats have also been eyeing the creation of a potentially powerful select committee on AI if they win back the majority in November, two congressional aides familiar with the matter told USA TODAY. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Illinois, and Rep. Ted Lieu, D-California, met last week with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to discuss the idea.
Foster said in a statement to USA TODAY that "Leader Jeffries understands that we can't repeat Republicans' mistake of letting Congress sit on the sidelines while AI rapidly shapes our future." Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, said he'd be supportive of the same kind of effort in the Senate, too.
Whenever select committees are formed, however, there are jurisdictional turf wars with established panels typically led by senior members. Exactly how those fights play out could be an important factor in the extent of any potential AI intervention from Congress next year.
Zachary Schermele is the congressional correspondent for USA TODAY. Reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com and on Signal @zachschermele.02. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Data center bill could help shield Americans from rising energy costs
