UPDATE
Sep 17, 2026 5:15 PM CDT
A Democratic senator on Thursday blocked approval of legislation intended to rein in electricity prices, hours after the measure sparked by data center opposition cleared the House. Sen. Martin Heinrich argued that the bill doesn't do enough to make data centers pay for upgrades to the electric grid and conserve water, the Washington Post reports. After stopping that unanimous consent attempt, Heinrich tried to push his own data center legislation through the Senate by unanimous consent. He was blocked by GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno, who said on the floor that Heinrich's actions were obstruction by Democrats so that, with the midterms approaching, "they can just put up another TV ad to say that electricity prices are high, so that they can win an election."
Sep 16, 2026 7:30 PM CDT
Just before leaving town, House lawmakers voted to keep power-hungry data centers from sticking their neighbors with their energy bill. In a 417-3 vote on Wednesday, the House approved the bipartisan Ratepayers Protection Act, which pushes energy grid upgrade costs for new, artificial intelligence data centers onto the companies that build them, not local consumers. The measure, co-sponsored by Reps. Gabe Evans of Colorado and Kathy Castor of Florida, would set a federal standard for state utility regulators weighing who pays for additional generation, transmission lines, and other infrastructure, NBC News reports.
The bill is the only AI-related measure being put to a vote this week, even as Congress hears warnings from AI insiders about broader risks. It doesn't address AI safety at all, and what the Senate will do on the legislation is uncertain. The urgency could have sprung from the growing resistance to data centers from voters in swing areas, as well as the approaching midterms; President Trump strongly supports the installations. An NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll found that nearly 70% of Americans don't want an AI data center in their neighborhood.
Some Democrats backed the bill while criticizing it as a minimal step: Rep. Veronica Escobar called it "the bare minimum," saying her constituents oppose data centers altogether. "I promise that this bill is not the end of our focus on these issues. It's only the beginning," said Rep. Frank Pallone, the ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, per the AP. Speaker Mike Johnson said the legislation "strikes the right balance of protecting local communities while keeping America on the cutting edge of AI development."
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