Evans tackles data centers in bipartisan legislation
Colorado Congressman Gabe Evans sponsored bipartisan federal legislation, the Ratepayer Protection Act, which passed the U.S. House. The bill aims to protect consumers by requiring large data centers to bear the full cost of necessary energy infrastructure. The legislation also mandates states without specific data center standards to conduct hearings and establish their own regulations, drawing on local examples like Thornton's data center moratorium and Weld County's project approval despite opposition.
Colorado Congressman Gabe Evans championed bipartisan legislation, the Ratepayer Protection Act, which overwhelmingly passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week with a 417-3 vote. The bill aims to shield families and small businesses from incurring infrastructure costs associated with large data centers by requiring these high-energy-load facilities to fully cover the expenses for new energy infrastructure needed to serve them.
The legislation, now headed to the U.S. Senate, also mandates that states lacking specific data center standards initiate hearings to establish state-specific determinations for large-load data centers. Congressman Evans, a Republican representing Colorado's 8th Congressional District, emphasized that the bill ensures hardworking families do not subsidize data centers' energy demands, allowing for AI infrastructure growth without burdening existing ratepayers.
The bill proposes federal standards for state regulators when reviewing proposals for new large-load customers consuming 100 megawatts or more. These standards include recovering the full incremental cost of grid upgrades from the large-load customer through special rate structures and requiring financial assurances to prevent costs from shifting to regular ratepayers. The legislation maintains state flexibility, allowing regulators to determine the application of the standards within their utility systems.
Local developments within Evans' district highlight the urgency of the bill: the Thornton City Council recently enacted a 12-month moratorium on data center applications, while Weld County Commissioners approved a large data center project despite vocal community opposition. A Google data center is currently the only such facility in Thornton.