Congressman Henry Cuellar proposes bill to require data centers to cover their own costs
Congressman Henry Cuellar is proposing a "Ratepayer Bill of Rights" in Texas to address concerns about data centers' impact on water, electricity, and utility bills. The bill aims to require data centers to cover their own resource costs, preventing families and businesses from bearing these expenses. It includes ten protections for ratepayers and is expected to be filed soon, aligning with similar proposals from Governor Greg Abbott and San Antonio leaders.
Congressman Henry Cuellar of South Texas is proposing a "Ratepayer Bill of Rights" to address growing concerns about data centers' impact on water, electricity, and utility bills in Texas. The proposed legislation aims to ensure that families, farmers, ranchers, and small business owners are not forced to subsidize the costs created by these large facilities.
Cuellar stated that his legislation's rule is simple: tell the public what the project will use, protect water and electricity service, and make the project pay its own costs. The bill is expected to create ten protections for ratepayers and would require data centers to cover their own expenses for resources.
Congressman Cuellar hopes to file the bill when Congress returns in the coming weeks. This initiative aligns with similar proposals for data center standards previously put forth by Governor Greg Abbott and leaders in San Antonio.