The US Senate on Wednesday rejected a bill that would have required state utility regulators to assess whether major electricity users, including data centers, should cover the additional infrastructure costs created by their demand. Supporters said the measure could help shield households from paying those expenses.
The Ratepayer Protection Act received 57 votes to advance and 43 against, falling short of the 60 votes needed to overcome the Senate’s procedural threshold. Just four Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the bill.
Senate Republicans had promoted the vote as an opportunity to address mounting economic concerns tied to the rapid expansion of data centers powering artificial intelligence. It was the first congressional legislation focused specifically on that issue, and Republicans also hoped the debate would strengthen their position ahead of the November midterm elections.
Polling indicates widespread public opposition to data center growth, even as President Trump backs further development. Republicans are seeking to preserve their Senate majority in the November 3 elections; they currently control the chamber by a 53-47 margin.
Democrats argued that the proposal offered insufficient protection for consumers facing sharply rising electricity bills.
Although the bill failed, its defeat—following the Senate’s rejection of separate legislation aimed at tightening rules on stock trading by members of Congress—gives Republicans another potential line of attack against Democrats in the final weeks of the Nov. 3 campaign.
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The House of Representatives approved the Ratepayer Protection Act on Sept. 16 by an overwhelming 417-3 vote.
Senate Republicans brought the measure forward at the urging of Sen. Jon Husted, who is trailing former Senator Sherrod Brown, the Democratic candidate in Ohio. President Trump carried the state by more than 11 percentage points in 2024.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday that Republicans were advancing legislation they knew would fail in order to score political points rather than provide meaningful relief.
“While Americans are demanding real guardrails on AI and data centers, Republicans are offering a toothless messaging bill,” Schumer said.
Democrats have instead backed the GRID Savings Act, which would require large data centers to pay the full cost of grid upgrades needed to supply them with electricity.
Republican Sen. Husted said Tuesday that the legislation would give his party “a chance to prove to the American people that we’re for lower electricity prices and holding data centers accountable.”
