Alabama senators back data center bill to curb energy costs, but vote falls short
The U.S. Senate voted 57-43 against advancing the Ratepayer Protection Act, which would have required large data centers to cover the costs of their transmission, generation and related energy infrastructure. Alabama Sens. Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt supported the measure, which had passed the House but fell short after Senate Democrats objected to its voluntary framework and limited enforcement.
The Ratepayer Protection Act failed to advance in the U.S. Senate after a 57-43 vote, despite having passed the House 417-3. The legislation would have created a framework for state regulators to prevent ratepayers from subsidizing infrastructure and electricity costs tied to data centers consuming at least 100 megawatts.
Alabama Republican Sens. Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt backed the bill, while Senate Democrats argued that it did not go far enough to address data centers’ growing energy demand and lacked meaningful enforcement provisions. The measure was intended to codify a White House pledge encouraging companies to pay the full cost of their energy use.