US House Votes on Bipartisan Bill to Prevent AI Data Center Power Costs from Being Passed to Consumers

The US House plans to vote on a bipartisan bill designed to prevent electricity and energy costs associated with AI data centers from being shifted onto general consumers. CNBC reported that the House will vote on legislation aimed at establishing a regulatory framework that states can adopt to address energy cost pass-through for data centers.

The bill, titled the 'Ratepayer Protection Act' (H.R. 9340), passed unanimously in the House Energy and Commerce Committee with a 52-0 vote. It requires state public utility commissions to review standards ensuring large-scale power demand from data centers covers costs for expanding power generation, transmission lines, and other electricity infrastructure.