List of Lawmakers Backing AI Data Center Bill to Keep Electricity Costs Low
The debate over who should pay for AI infrastructure is becoming a major political issue.
A bipartisan coalition of House lawmakers is supporting the Ratepayer Protection Act (H.R. 9340), a bill designed to prevent American households and small businesses from bearing the financial burden of the power infrastructure necessary to support the rapidly growing artificial intelligence data center industry. The legislation, spearheaded by Representative Gabe Evans, a Colorado Republican, would compel states to establish regulations that ensure large data centers bear the full financial responsibility for any new electricity generation, transmission, and distribution enhancements required to cater to their facilities, rather than shifting those expenses onto utility customers.
The proposal has gained prominence as a prominent AI-related energy bill in Congress, as electricity demand escalates in conjunction with the surging artificial intelligence sector. The ongoing debate regarding who should bear the costs of AI infrastructure has become a significant political concern, as utilities project substantial increases in electricity demand stemming from data centers that power AI models, cloud computing platforms, and other digital services.
Advocates of the legislation assert that consumers should not be required to subsidize the energy requirements of some of the world's largest technology enterprises. The proposed bill mandates utilities to recover the complete incremental cost of infrastructure upgrades from large-load customers, defined within the legislation as data center facilities with peak electricity demand of 100 megawatts or greater.
Supporters contend that this proposal would enable the United States to continue expanding AI infrastructure while safeguarding consumers from potentially higher utility bills. Conversely, critics of data center expansion have increasingly cautioned that the industry's expanding power requirements could lead to heightened electricity costs for households if utilities distribute those infrastructure expenses across their rate base.
The matter gained heightened attention following a House committee's unanimous approval of the bill, underscoring broad bipartisan apprehension concerning the influence of AI-related electricity demand on ratepayers. The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced H.R. 9340 by a unanimous 52-0 vote on July 21, 2026, advancing the legislation to the entire House for deliberation.
The House vote is set to take place on Tuesday at 5 p.m. Upon approval by the House, the bill would still require Senate endorsement and President Donald Trump's approval before being enacted into law. As of now, there are 42 cosponsors, comprising 35 Republicans, 7 Democrats, and the bill's sponsor, Gabe Evans.
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