Just as Oklahoma enacted the Data Center Customer Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026, Congress is trying to do much the same. It took a major step on Tuesday.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 52-0 on Tuesday in support of the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act, H.R. 9340, a measure that drew attention on Capitol Hill as Representatives spoke of the need to protect ratepayers from the advent of higher electric rates, mostly caused by the tremendous growth of data centers nationwide.
The vote came during a full committee markup on 29 bills that began Monday evening.
“Our Committee has been focused this Congress on winning the race to AI dominance while securing our grid, but to help ensure that our communities are not paying for the associated electricity costs of new data centers, I’m glad that we could find bipartisan support for the Ratepayer Protection Act,” declared Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) in an opening statement.
“The bill encourages states to consider establishing large load tariffs, so that the data centers are paying for necessary grid upgrades and electricity, and consumers don’t shoulder the cost.
The legislation — sponsored by Reps. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) and Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) — would require states to consider adopting a federal standard directing large electricity customers to pay the full cost of new generation and transmission upgrades needed to serve them.
Before the vote. Rep. Evans said his bill does exactly what the title suggests—protects everyday ratepayers from higher electric bills due to unprecedented energy demand from data centers.
“It’s common sense, bipartisan, and it directly responds to constituents’ concerns about the cost of living and potential financial burdens tied to rapid data center development across the country.”
The Congressman said the demand for AI infrastructure will continue to grow exponentially and large amounts of computing power will be required for daily operations.
“We must ensure we’re building AI infrastructure responsibly, and we have policies in place to reassure hard-working families that this new development delivers benefits, not higher electric bills.”
Oklahoma’s ratepayer protection act was based on House Bill 2992 by Rep. Brad Boles (R-Marlow) and Sen. Grant Green (R-Wellston). The Data Center Customer Ratepayer Protection Act of 20th 2026, was signed into law by Governor Kevin Stitt on May 13, 2026, and took effect on July 1, 2026. It It shields residential and small business utility customers from paying for major electrical grid upgrades driven by high-demand commercial users.