0
0
The Senate failed Wednesday to advance the Ratepayer Protection Act, a Republican-led bill aimed at keeping data center electricity costs off household bills. The 57-43 vote fell short of the 60 needed to move forward.
Discover Top American-Made Products!
Support local craftsmanship with these high-quality, American-made items—shop now on Amazon!
Shop NowFour Democrats voted with Republicans: Sens. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock of Georgia.
The House passed the bill earlier this month, 417-3.
The measure would require data centers with peak demand of 100 megawatts or more to cover the full cost of grid upgrades needed to serve them. It directs states to consider that standard rather than requiring them to adopt it.
That distinction drove the opposition. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the bill “a fraud” and said, “This bill makes the protection optional. Senate Democrats want to make it mandatory.” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said it “has no teeth.”
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., a cosponsor, countered: “American families shouldn’t have to pay higher energy costs if a data center is built in their community.”
Fox News reported that the fight could feature in Ohio’s Senate race between Republican Sen. Jon Husted and former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, as electricity costs become a midterm issue.
Click here to read the full story on Valley News Live
