The House passed legislation Tuesday aimed at fighting rising electricity costs caused by data centers as the midterm elections loom.
The bill passed 417-3 with all opposing votes coming from Democrats: Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Delia Ramirez of Illinois and Summer Lee of Pennsylvania.
The Ratepayer Protection Act intends to require states to consider implementing a federal standard to ensure data centers cover the costs of grid upgrades and rising electricity costs. Lawmakers faced pressure to lower energy costs as data centers drove up the costs, with some high concentration areas seeing power capacity spike over 1,000%, Reuters reported.
Overall U.S. electricity prices have risen roughly 27% since 2019, outpacing standard consumer inflation. Electric bills in high concentration states surged faster than the 6% national average, rising 13% in Virginia, 16% in Illinois and 12% in Ohio over a one-year time frame, according to CNBC.
The cost of living remains the top issue for voters in the 2026 midterm election cycle.
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