{"id":"a43d67bbafe647d3","congress_number":119,"bill_type":"hr","bill_number":"9340","title":"Ratepayer Protection Act","plain_summary":"A bill titled the Ratepayer Protection Act; no bill text was provided, so its substance cannot be assessed. Based on the title alone it likely concerns utility ratepayer costs.","ai_relevance_score":0.05,"topics":[],"status":"markup","introduced_at":"2026-06-18","last_action_at":"2026-07-21","last_action_text":"Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 52 - 0.","sponsor_id":"E000300","watchlisted":true,"full_text_url":null,"created_at":"2026-09-08T22:53:58.186Z","updated_at":"2026-09-09T02:08:29.132Z","ai_reasoning":null,"reported_at":"2026-07-21","passed_house_at":null,"passed_senate_at":null,"became_law_at":null,"recorded_votes":[],"classifier":null,"url":"https://whovotedwhy.com/bills/a43d67bbafe647d3","congress_gov_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9340","sponsor":{"id":"E000300","bioguide_id":"E000300","first_name":"Gabe","last_name":"Evans","full_name":"Gabe Evans","party":"R","state":"CO","chamber":"house","district":"8","title":"Representative","photo_url":null,"twitter_handle":"repgabeevans","official_website":"https://gabeevans.house.gov","fec_candidate_ids":["H4CO08034"],"lis_id":null,"is_active":true,"term_start":"2025-01-03","term_end":"2027-01-03","created_at":"2026-09-08T22:51:51.014Z","updated_at":"2026-09-09T02:08:13.531Z"},"roll_calls":[{"id":"ae2a2373c030c763","chamber":"house","kind":"committee","category":"passage","congress":119,"session":null,"number":null,"date":"2026-07-21","question":"Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute","description":"Ratepayer Protection Act","legislation":"H.R. 9340","amendment":null,"committee":"Energy and Commerce Committee","bill_id":"a43d67bbafe647d3","result":"Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 52 - 0.","yeas":52,"nays":0,"positions_recorded":0,"positions_unmatched":0,"source_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9340/all-actions","ai_match":"bill","fetched_at":"2026-09-11T14:58:52.438Z"}],"citing_statements":[{"id":"ab4723bcfcf15762","politician_id":"M001235","type":"press_release","content":"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Riley M. Moore announced that he is cosponsoring the Ratepayer Protection Act, today. The legislation, introduced by Congressman Gabe Evans (R-CO), would ensure that data centers — not American families, small businesses, and other ratepayers — are responsible for the costs of the additional electricity infrastructure their operations require.\n\nCongressman Riley M. Moore released the following statement:\n\n“West Virginia families and American taxpayers should not be forced to foot the bill for massive data centers, and the enormous potential demands they place on our power grid. The Ratepayer Protection Act preserves state and local control over data center projects while ensuring that hardworking Americans are not asked to pay for hundreds of millions of dollars in new generation, transmission, or distribution infrastructure costs. That cost should always be on the companies.”\n\nThis legislation would amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to require state public utility commissions to consider standards ensuring that large data centers pay the full incremental costs associated with generation, transmission, and distribution upgrades needed to serve their electricity demand.\n\nAs data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure continue to expand their demand for electricity, Congressman Moore believes Americans should not be forced to subsidize the infrastructure required to power these facilities. This bill would establish guardrails to protect ratepayers while preserving the authority of state regulators to determine how these standards are implemented.\n\nCongressman Moore has consistently advocated for an affordable, reliable, and abundant American energy supply and for policies that protect West Virginia ratepayers from being burdened with costs created by large-scale industrial projects.","url":"https://rileymoore.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-riley-m-moore-cosponsors-legislation-protect-ratepayers-data","published_at":"2026-08-31","ai_topics":["data_centers"],"ai_stance":"support","ai_summary":"Moore cosponsors the Ratepayer Protection Act so data centers, not families, pay the full cost of the electricity infrastructure AI expansion requires.","ai_processed":true,"bill_ids":["a43d67bbafe647d3"],"ai_relevance_score":null,"bill_refs":[{"bill_id":"a43d67bbafe647d3","method":"title"}],"classifier":null},{"id":"8baf5f0b0104c333","politician_id":"F000482","type":"press_release","content":"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-N.D.) was among the 52 members of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee who unanimously passed the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act (H.R. 9340) this week.\n\nThe legislation directs utilities to protect American families and small businesses from increased electricity costs driven by data centers by requiring them to cover the full costs of service. The bill also requires up front financial assurances to mitigate the risks of demand changing after grid investments are made. The bill now advances to the full House for consideration.\n\n“No American should pay higher utility bills because of the infrastructure needed to serve new, large electricity users like data centers. Republicans and Democrats are united in this belief and support the commonsense principle: those who cause costs on the system must pay for those costs—not hardworking families, seniors on fixed incomes, or small businesses,” Fedorchak said. “North Dakota requires large-load customers to cover the costs they impose on the electric system, protecting existing ratepayers while supporting economic growth. That's a model the rest of the country should follow, and the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act advances this principle.”\n\n\"We have met with numerous stakeholders, including the data center industry and big tech, state regulators, utilities, and others,\" said Chairman Guthrie. \"But it has become clear that across the entire industry there is one entity uniquely positioned to stand up for families and communities who are the ones paying electricity bills-and that is this Committee, and our colleagues in Congress. The Ratepayer Protection Act will ensure that data centers pay their own way, instead of passing costs onto hardworking families. Thank you to Congressman Gabe Evans for leading this vital legislation that will protect Americans from rising electricity costs while ensuring the United States is positioned to win the race for AI dominance.\"\n\nThe Ratepayer Protection Actestablishes a framework for states to evaluate policies that prevent costs from being shifted to existing ratepayers. Specifically, the bill:\n\nRequires state utility commissions to consider policies that allocate the costs of serving new large-load customers fairly.\n\nReinforces the longstanding \"cost causation\" principle that customers creating the need for new infrastructure should bear those expenses.\n\nHelps protect residential customers and small businesses from subsidizing infrastructure built primarily to serve data centers and other large electricity users.\n\nEncourages transparent and predictable cost allocation for companies making significant investments in new facilities.\n\nAs a former member of the North Dakota Public Service Commission, Fedorchak has long advocated for policies that prevent costs from being shifted onto families while supporting responsible economic development. North Dakota has successfully implemented rate structures requiring large-load customers to cover costs they imposed on the electric system, leading to over $30 million in savings for customers.","url":"https://fedorchak.house.gov/media/press-releases/fedorchak-applauds-committee-passage-bipartisan-ratepayer-protection-act","published_at":"2026-07-27","ai_topics":["data_centers","innovation"],"ai_stance":"mixed","ai_summary":"Fedorchak backs requiring AI data centers to cover their own electricity costs so families aren't subsidizing them, while still supporting US AI dominance.","ai_processed":true,"bill_ids":["a43d67bbafe647d3"],"ai_relevance_score":null,"bill_refs":[{"bill_id":"a43d67bbafe647d3","method":"number"}],"classifier":null},{"id":"580db1befadf35eb","politician_id":"G000558","type":"press_release","content":"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced the Ratepayer Protection Act to the full House of Representatives unanimously. Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, spoke in support of this legislation, which, if signed into law, would prevent ratepayers from footing the bill for upgrades to any energy generation, transmission, or distribution infrastructure for newly constructed data centers.\n\nExcerpts from Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on the Ratepayer Protection Act from today’s Full Committee Markup as prepared for delivery.\n\n“We have met with numerous stakeholders, including the data center industry and big tech, state regulators, utilities, and others. But it has become clear that across the entire industry there is one entity uniquely positioned to stand up for families and communities who are the ones paying electricity bills—and that is the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and our colleagues in Congress.”\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Ratepayer Protection Act would amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) to require each state regulatory authority to consider establishing a large-load standard, requiring large-load data center customers to cover the full, incremental cost of any generation, transmission, or distribution upgrade necessary to serve the energy load for the customer.\n\nFull legislative text for H.R. 9430 can be found HERE.","url":"https://guthrie.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=391129","published_at":"2026-07-21","ai_topics":["data_centers"],"ai_stance":"support","ai_summary":"Guthrie backs the Ratepayer Protection Act requiring data centers to cover their own energy infrastructure costs instead of ratepayers.","ai_processed":true,"bill_ids":["a43d67bbafe647d3"],"ai_relevance_score":null,"bill_refs":[{"bill_id":"a43d67bbafe647d3","method":"title"}],"classifier":null},{"id":"00f7010ad2bb0aba","politician_id":"T000482","type":"press_release","content":"Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) supported the passage of two bipartisan pieces of legislation to protect ratepayers from increased utility costs caused by data centers during a House Energy and Commerce Committee markup. Both bills, the Ratepayer Protection Act and the Protecting Families from AI Data Center Energy Costs Act, are now eligible for consideration on the House floor.\n\n“It’s our job to make sure that when data centers are built, they're built on terms that work for the families who live nearby,” Congresswoman Trahan said. “That's what this legislation gets right. It says something simple. If you build the data center, you pay for the data center. The construction costs, the utility costs – those fall on the company, not the family down the street. This bill gives states a strong standard to make sure large load developers foot that bill themselves.”\n\nDuring the Committee markup, Trahan spoke in favor of both pieces of legislation. Footage of her remarks can be accessed HERE or by clicking the image below. A transcript is embedded below.\n\nData centers are the fastest-growing source of new electricity demand in the country, and the grid upgrades needed to serve them are not free. Someone has to pay for the new power plants, transmission lines, and substations, and too often that cost gets spread across everyone's monthly bill, leaving families and small businesses to subsidize the energy needs of some of the largest corporations in the world.\n\nTo combat this problem, the Ratepayer Protection Act gives state utility regulators clear standards to ensure large-load customers, meaning any new data or information storage facility drawing 100 megawatts or more, cover the full cost of the infrastructure they require. It requires those customers to recover the full incremental cost of grid upgrades over time and to provide financial assurances, so ratepayers stay protected even if a data center scales back or leaves entirely.\n\nSimilarly, the Protecting Families from AI Data Center Energy Costs Act directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to convene major stakeholders to examine how to shield residents from these rising costs, and it requires FERC to deliver a report with concrete recommendations and best practices so the energy costs tied to AI data centers are not passed on to ordinary consumers.\n\nDuring her remarks, Trahan pointed out that both bills are important first steps in protecting families from bearing the burden of increased utility costs caused by data centers. She argued that Congress must go further, including by passing a provision in her bipartisan Great American AI Act discussion draft released last month to improve data center efficiency and reduce their environmental footprint.\n\n“Both of these bills are good first steps, Mr. Chairman, but we should also be honest about what they don't do. They don't fully address the water these facilities draw from our communities. They don't answer the concern back home that when the grid is stretched, families worry they'll be deprioritized,” Congresswoman Trahan continued. “People in the district I represent are raising these questions, and they deserve answers. That's exactly why, when Congressman Obernolte and I drafted the Great American AI Act, we included provisions to make data centers more efficient and lessen their environmental footprint. Because the smarter we build these facilities, the less strain they put on the grid, on our water, and on the families who live nearby.”\n\nBoth bills passed unanimously and now move to the House floor for consideration by the full House of Representatives.\n\n-----------------------------------\n\nCongresswoman Lori Trahan\n\nRemarks as Delivered\n\nHouse Energy and Committee Markup\n\nJuly 21, 2026\n\nThank you, Mr. Chairman. I too support the Ratepayer Protection Act and look forward to advancing this bipartisan legislation to the House floor today.\n\nRight now, families across our country are afraid to open up their el","url":"https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3815","published_at":"2026-07-21","ai_topics":["data_centers","regulation","transparency"],"ai_stance":"support","ai_summary":"Trahan backs bipartisan bills forcing AI data centers to pay their own grid costs and calls for going further on efficiency and environmental rules.","ai_processed":true,"bill_ids":["7bb65218ad2fd026","a43d67bbafe647d3"],"ai_relevance_score":null,"bill_refs":[{"bill_id":"7bb65218ad2fd026","method":"title"},{"bill_id":"a43d67bbafe647d3","method":"title"}],"classifier":null},{"id":"6c326fef00f14317","politician_id":"E000300","type":"press_release","content":"WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Gabe Evans' bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act unanimously passed through the House Energy and Commerce, marking a major step toward protecting American families and small businesses from bearing the costs of powering new data center development. The legislation now advances to the House floor for a vote.\n\nThe bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act establishes commonsense standards for states and their Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) to consider when connecting large-load customers—such as data centers and hyperscalers—to the electric grid. The bill helps ensure these companies, rather than everyday ratepayers, are responsible for the costs of new power generation, transmission lines, and other infrastructure needed to meet the immense energy demand they require.\n\nAs energy demand continues to grow alongside America's leadership in Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Ratepayer Protection Act provides states with a framework to encourage economic growth while protecting households and small businesses from higher monthly utility rates.\n\n“America must build the energy infrastructure necessary to win the global AI race and outcompete adversaries like Communist China—but hardworking families should never be forced to subsidize that growth through higher electric bills. This bipartisan commonsense legislation ensures the companies creating new demand for electricity pay for the infrastructure they require—not Colorado families, farmers, seniors, and small businesses. I’m proud to see the swift advancement of the Ratepayer Protection Act through committee, and I look forward to its final passage in the House.” –– Congressman Gabe Evans\n\nBackground\n\nIf enacted, the legislation would establish federal standards for state regulators to use when reviewing proposals for new large-load customers with an electricity demand of 100 megawatts or more. The bill recommends:\n\nRecovering the full incremental cost of grid upgrades from the large-load customer over time through special rate structures or other agreements, ensuring utilities and existing ratepayers are not left paying for infrastructure if a customer later scales back operations or leaves the system.\n\nRequiring financial assurances that large-load customers will pay for the generation, transmission, and other infrastructure necessary to serve their demand, preventing those costs from being shifted onto families and local businesses through higher electricity rates.\n\nThe Ratepayer Protection Act builds on the principles of the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, under which major technology companies committed to covering the energy and infrastructure costs associated with new data center development.\n\nThe bill now heads to the House floor for consideration.","url":"https://gabeevans.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-gabe-evans-bipartisan-ratepayer-protection-act-passes-energy-and","published_at":"2026-07-21","ai_topics":["data_centers","innovation","regulation"],"ai_stance":"mixed","ai_summary":"Evans backs winning the AI race through energy buildout while supporting federal standards requiring data centers, not families, to pay for grid costs.","ai_processed":true,"bill_ids":["a43d67bbafe647d3"],"ai_relevance_score":null,"bill_refs":[{"bill_id":"a43d67bbafe647d3","method":"title"}],"classifier":null},{"id":"70f2e6209da48e60","politician_id":"L000566","type":"press_release","content":"Today, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-5) released the following statement after the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, during a full committee markup:\n\n\"This legislation protects American ratepayers from being forced to cover the cost of energy infrastructure upgrades needed to support data centers. I was proud to support this bipartisan legislation as we continue to strengthen America's leadership in the AI race against Communist China while ensuring hardworking families and local communities aren't left footing the bill. Numerous states already have large load tariffs in place for data centers, including Ohio. I urge the House to bring the Ratepayer Protection Act to the floor as soon as possible so we can get this commonsense legislation across the finish line.\"\n\nThe Ratepayer Protection Act is bipartisan legislation that helps ensure the costs of new energy infrastructure needed to serve data centers are not unfairly shifted onto American families and businesses.\n\nCongressman Latta spoke in support of the legislation during today's Energy and Commerce Committee markup. To watch his remarks, click here.","url":"https://latta.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=406829","published_at":"2026-07-21","ai_topics":["data_centers","innovation","regulation"],"ai_stance":"mixed","ai_summary":"Latta supports the Ratepayer Protection Act to keep data center energy costs off families while strengthening US leadership in the AI race against China.","ai_processed":true,"bill_ids":["a43d67bbafe647d3"],"ai_relevance_score":null,"bill_refs":[{"bill_id":"a43d67bbafe647d3","method":"number"}],"classifier":null},{"id":"4f514f8ee6622a2e","politician_id":"H001104","type":"press_release","content":"“The Ratepayer Protection Act would keep America globally competitive while protecting Ohioans and Americans from higher electricity bills.”\n\nWASHINGTON – Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) introduced the Ratepayer Protection Act to ensure American families and small businesses aren’t left paying for the energy infrastructure needed to support new data centers.\n\n“If America wants to lead the world in AI and strengthen our national security, we have to build the energy infrastructure to support it. But we must do that without passing the costs on to working families and small businesses. The Ratepayer Protection Act would keep America globally competitive while protecting Ohioans and Americans from higher electricity bills,” said Husted.\n\nThe Ratepayer Protection Act would require states to consider establishing standards for states and Public Utility Commissions when connecting large electricity users—such as data centers—to the grid. It ensures those customers, not families or small businesses, pay for the power generation, transmission lines and other infrastructure needed to serve their facilities. Without those protections, utilities can shift those costs onto ratepayers through higher monthly electricity bills.\n\nReps. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) and Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) introduced the companion bill to the Ratepayer Protection Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\n“As America races to lead the world in AI, we must build the energy infrastructure needed to support this innovation, and stay ahead of competitors like Communist China. But Colorado families, farmers, and small businesses should not be forced to cover the costs of new power generation driven by these developments. The Ratepayer Protection Act is a bipartisan, commonsense solution that protects everyday Americans and ensures our nation can continue to win the AI race,” said Evans.\n\n“My neighbors across Florida are grappling with skyrocketing electric bills. Ratepayers should not have to subsidize wealthy corporations’ growing energy demands, especially from AI data centers. The Ratepayer Protection Act safeguards consumers by ensuring these data centers pay for the energy and grid upgrades they need so hardworking families and local businesses are not stuck paying more,” said Castor.\n\nIn March 2026, Husted joined President Donald Trump at the White House for a roundtable focused on lowering energy costs near new data centers. During the event, President Trump signed the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, with major technology companies committing to cover the full cost of the energy and infrastructure needed for new data centers instead of shifting those costs onto consumers. The Ratepayer Protection Act would codify key elements of that pledge.\n\nBackground:\n\nIf enacted, the bill would propose standards that state regulators could enforce when considering integrating new large-load customers with a demand of 100 megawatts or more onto the grid. Those recommendations include:\n\nRecovery of full, incremental cost of upgrades by the large-load customer over a long period of time through a special rate charge or other agreements. This protects utilities and their ratepayers from being left responsible for upgrade costs associated with a large-load customer, even if that customer later reduces operations or leaves the system entirely.\n\nFinancial assurances requiring the large load customer to pay for any generation, transmission or other infrastructure necessary to serve their load, protecting utilities and ratepayers from that financial burden. This ensures large-load customers are responsible for the fixed costs associated with serving their demand rather than passing those costs on to families and businesses through higher monthly electricity bills.","url":"https://www.husted.senate.gov/media/press-releases/husted-leads-bill-to-protect-americans-from-footing-the-bill-for-new-data-centers/","published_at":"2026-07-20","ai_topics":["data_centers","regulation","innovation","national_security"],"ai_stance":"support","ai_summary":"Husted's Ratepayer Protection Act would require AI data centers, not families, to pay for grid infrastructure while keeping America leading the AI race.","ai_processed":true,"bill_ids":["a43d67bbafe647d3"],"ai_relevance_score":null,"bill_refs":[{"bill_id":"a43d67bbafe647d3","method":"title"}],"classifier":null}],"provenance":{"commit":"38624a3af16ec6b3fff9b27c7d1d9f2cb7fe9152","generated_at":"2026-09-11T15:06:57.105Z","schema_version":2,"manifest":"https://whovotedwhy.com/data/index.json"}}