Senate Democrats block bill to shield ratepayers from data center costs in 57-43 vote
The U.S. Senate voted 57-43 against advancing the Ratepayer Protection Act, falling short of the 60 votes required. The bill would have required large data center customers to cover the incremental generation, transmission and distribution costs associated with serving their power demand.
The Senate blocked the GOP-led Ratepayer Protection Act in a 57-43 vote, preventing the measure from advancing. The bill had passed the House 417-3 and was designed to require large-load customers, including data storage and computing facilities using at least 100 megawatts, to pay for energy infrastructure upgrades needed to serve them.
Republican sponsors, including Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota, said the legislation would protect families and small businesses from higher electricity costs caused by data center construction. Senate Democrats, including Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Dick Durbin and Chuck Schumer, argued that the bill's protections were largely voluntary and called for mandatory standards instead.