Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the Ratepayer Protection Act, bipartisan legislation that would encourage states to consider requiring data centers to pay for their energy costs. In response, Evergreen Action Executive Director Lena Moffitt released the following statement:
“The Ratepayer Protection Act is an encouraging step in the right direction to hold data centers accountable for the high costs they are passing on to American families. But it’s not enough. Despite data centers costing our economy billions—including over $6 billion in new charges resulting from PJM Interconnection’s most recent capacity auction alone—legislation that only encourages states to ‘consider’ requiring Big Tech to pay their fair share won’t lower a single family’s electric bill. Americans need real, enforceable requirements.
“The good news is that lawmakers are recognizing that data centers are driving up household costs. While this legislation is a starting point, the next steps involve solutions with teeth—ones that prioritize lowering costs and hold data centers accountable for their massive cost burdens.”
