US Senate blocks Ratepayer Protection Act on AI data center power costs

The Senate voted 57-43 to kill the Ratepayer Protection Act. The bill would have pushed regulators to consider making data centers pay the incremental grid costs created by their electricity demand.

Why it matters: Without the bill, the question of who pays for grid upgrades stays with state regulators and utilities, so residential bills remain exposed to AI-driven demand. It adds fuel to local opposition to data centers, which Amazon this week said is blocking tens of billions of dollars of projects.