Riley introduces bill to stop data center projects from driving up energy bills
Congressman Josh Riley introduced the FAIR Data Act, bipartisan legislation aimed at preventing data center projects from driving up energy bills for Upstate New York residents and small businesses. The bill seeks to ensure that large corporate customers developing data centers pay for necessary grid upgrades instead of utility ratepayers. This initiative comes as specific data center projects in Lansing and Oneonta, New York, face significant local opposition.
Congressman Josh Riley (NY-19) introduced the FAIR Data Act on July 13 in Washington, D.C., a bipartisan bill aimed at preventing data center projects from escalating energy bills for Upstate New York families and small businesses. The legislation seeks to address the financial burden placed on everyday ratepayers due to the massive electricity demands of data centers, which necessitate costly grid upgrades. Under current regulations, utility companies can pass these infrastructure costs onto consumers, with utilities nationwide requesting over $29 billion in rate increases in the first half of 2025 alone.
Riley emphasized that Upstate New Yorkers should not bear the financial responsibility for "Big Tech" companies, stating, "If out-of-state tech companies want to build data centers here, they can pay their own way—not stick Upstate families with the bill." The proposed bill aims to ensure that the large corporate customers driving this demand are responsible for these costs.
The legislation is a response to several data center developments proposed within Riley's 19th Congressional District. Specifically, Maryland-based TeraWulf is planning a 300-400 megawatt AI data center at the former Cayuga Power Plant in Lansing, while Eco-Yotta has sought rezoning for an AI data center on County Road Nine in Oneonta. Both of these projects have encountered strong local opposition from residents.