First data center bill clears House as Republicans, Democrats scramble for answers on affordability
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the Ratepayer Protection Act (RPA), a bill that looks to shield communities from higher energy electricity and grid infrastructure costs associated with data center development.
The bill, which succeeded with broad bipartisan support in a 417-3 vote, is likely one of the last pieces of legislation lawmakers will consider until after the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
It also puts a spotlight on the data center issue, which has garnered attention as a proxy for affordability, energy and regulatory debates.
It marks the first data center-related bill passed in the 119th Congress.
In its current form, the bill does not seek to ban data centers, set limitations on their expansion or even set regulatory guidelines for them. Instead, it amends existing energy law, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA), so states must consider a federal standard. Large data centers that consume 100 megawatts or more would pay the full extra cost of the generation, transmission and distribution upgrades built to serve them.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Leo Briceno.
Read the full article here
