Representative Josh Riley Introduces Federal Legislation to Shift Data Center Utility Costs from Ratepayers
U.S. Representative Josh Riley (NY-19) introduced federal legislation on August 20, named the Fair Data Act. This bill aims to mandate that data center developers and operators bear the costs for power generation, transmission, and distribution upgrades necessitated by their facilities. Currently, these expenses are often passed on to residential and small business utility customers. Speaking in West Oneonta, Riley highlighted the increasing difficulty for his constituents to manage household budgets due to rising utility costs. Residents at the event shared experiences of significantly higher electricity bills, with one Oneonta resident reporting their bill more than doubled from October 2025 to July 2026. The Union of Concerned Scientists identified 130 transmission projects approved in 2024 in the PJM region, costing approximately $4.3 billion, primarily for connecting private data centers. Over 95% of these costs were absorbed into general transmission charges, affecting all retail customers. 
