Data center bill falls short in Senate as lawmakers take final votes before the midterms
A Senate bill addressing data centers’ impact on electricity costs failed to advance after receiving 57 votes, short of the 60 needed. The measure would have urged utility regulators to consider requiring large power customers to cover system upgrade costs, while Democrats argued that stronger mandatory rules were needed.
The U.S. Senate voted 57-43 against advancing legislation sponsored by Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, that sought to address concerns over data centers and rising electricity costs. The bill, which had passed the House 417-3, would have directed utility regulators to consider a federal standard requiring large power customers to cover infrastructure upgrades needed to serve them.
Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, criticized the measure as insufficient and backed a competing proposal from Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., that would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to establish mandatory rules for large electricity customers. The vote came amid election-year political pressure, particularly surrounding Husted’s reelection campaign in Ohio, where data center growth has become a major voter concern.