Maryland Sen. Van Hollen Addresses Data Center Electricity Costs, Proposes Legislation
Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen discussed the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and data centers, emphasizing that data centers should not result in higher electricity bills for constituents. He highlighted his "Power for the People" Act, legislation designed to prevent consumer utility rates from subsidizing corporate data center energy costs, citing significant subsidies within the PJM grid.
Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen (D) discussed a range of topics during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press, including internal Democratic Party debates and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure and data centers. While defending the presence of Democratic Socialists of America members within party discussions, he also clarified his disagreement with much of their platform.
Shifting to economic concerns, Senator Van Hollen weighed in on the burgeoning data center industry, stating that "no data center should be freeloading on my constituents in the form of higher electricity bills." He emphasized that decisions regarding data center siting should remain with individual counties and states.
The Senator highlighted his recently introduced "Power for the People" Act, a legislative effort aimed at safeguarding consumer utility rates from absorbing the energy costs associated with corporate data center usage. He pointed to the PJM grid, which serves Maryland, as an example, claiming that $28 billion has been spent over the past two years subsidizing data centers. Van Hollen characterized this situation as "insane" and attributed it to a Republican agenda, despite their rhetoric.