Single Senate Dem torpedoes bipartisan data center power bill after House passes it 417-3

Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) blocked the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act in the Senate, just one day after it overwhelmingly passed the House with a 417-3 vote. The bill, championed by Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio), aimed to mandate that states consider standards to prevent large electricity consumers, such as AI data centers, from passing infrastructure costs onto everyday utility customers. Heinrich argued the bill was insufficient, stating that while he agreed on the potential for higher costs, the proposed legislation did not go far enough.

Instead, Senator Heinrich sought unanimous consent for his own GRID Savings Act, which would explicitly require large electricity users, including data centers, to cover the costs of connecting to the grid and would establish federal standards for large-load interconnections. However, Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) subsequently objected to Heinrich's bill, resulting in both measures being stalled. Moreno criticized the legislative stalemate, attributing it to a "do-nothing Congress" and accusing Heinrich of denying Americans "immediate relief." The legislative clash underscores the growing political significance of AI and data centers as a contentious issue leading up to the November midterm elections. Senator Husted, facing a challenging re-election campaign, has reportedly faced criticism regarding his stance on data centers, with internal Republican memos highlighting the issue as a liability. The National Republican Senatorial Committee's memo suggested voters prefer candidates who advocate for local approval votes for data centers and require them to pay for their own utilities, rather than those who seek to halt data center construction entirely. Husted expressed disappointment over the blocked bill, calling it a missed opportunity for bipartisan action to protect consumers from increased electricity prices.