The U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation on Wednesday aimed at protecting residential consumers from the potential costs of data center infrastructure. The Ratepayer Protection Act passed in a 417 to 3 vote under a fast-track process requiring a two-thirds majority. The bill now moves to the Senate.
The measure was introduced by Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) as lawmakers face pressure to address rising energy costs linked to the growth of data centers. These facilities, which house the computing power necessary for artificial intelligence (AI), require significant electricity. Several House members joined as cosponsors as affordability and AI have become central themes.
The bill encourages state agencies that regulate utilities to set standards ensuring "large-load customers," such as data centers, are billed for the cost of new electricity generation required to serve them. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) stated the act ensures families will not "foot the bill for the buildout of AI infrastructure." Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) said the bill seeks to keep consumer costs low while keeping industry development within the United States rather than in China.
While the bill received broad support, some lawmakers characterized it as limited in scope. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) called the legislation "imperfect" and noted it addresses only "one small part of the puzzle" regarding AI and data center development. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) described the bill as a "step forward" but stated that more action is required to address the issue.
For an individual household, the bill is intended to prevent increases in monthly utility bills that would otherwise fund the infrastructure for the AI industry. The scale of the energy shift involves hundreds of utility companies and dozens of major tech firms. President Trump has urged these firms to purchase or build their own power supplies, and the White House has reported that hundreds of utilities and major AI companies have already signed a pledge to manage these energy needs.
The legislation could influence how states manage "large-load customers" as the U.S. grid faces capacity pressure. By encouraging state regulators to adopt these billing standards, the bill establishes a framework for localized oversight of the tech industry’s impact on infrastructure. Following the House's approval, the bill’s next step is a review in the Senate; however, a specific date for Senate action or an effective date for the new standards was not reported.