US House passes Ratepayer Protection Act: What is it, what would it do and who voted against it?
The House approved the Ratepayer Protection Act in a 417-3 vote, aiming to prevent households from bearing electricity costs for large AI data centers.
The US House of Representatives has passed the Ratepayer Protection Act (RPA), a bipartisan bill designed to protect residential electricity customers from bearing the financial burden of grid upgrades necessary for large data centers. The legislation, which passed with a vote of 417-3, now moves to the Senate for further consideration.
If enacted, the RPA would amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) to require states to consider a federal standard that ensures the largest data centers pay for the full cost of new electricity infrastructure built specifically for their operations. The bill, introduced by Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colorado) and co-sponsored by Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Florida), aims to balance AI innovation with consumer protection by preventing communities from subsidizing the rising electricity needs of major technology companies. Only three House members voted against the legislation, all of whom were Democrats.
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