US Senate vote stalls bill on data-centre electricity costs
A September 30, 2026 procedural vote fell three votes short of the threshold needed to advance the Ratepayer Protection Act, amid disagreement over its voluntary standards.
In short
- A September 30, 2026 procedural vote fell three votes short of the threshold needed to advance the Ratepayer Protection Act, amid disagreement over its voluntary standards.
The US Senate failed to advance the Ratepayer Protection Act on September 30, 2026, after supporters secured 57 votes, short of the 60 required to move the electricity-cost measure forward. Forty-three senators opposed the procedural motion.
The proposal addresses who should pay for electrical-grid upgrades needed by data centres. It would require states to consider standards intended to place those costs on large electricity users, but would not require states to adopt the standards, according to Roll Call.
Four Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the motion: Maggie Hassan, Amy Klobuchar, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. The House had previously passed the bill by 417 votes to three.
Republican supporters argued that the measure would help protect households from higher bills. Democratic opponents said its voluntary approach would not provide sufficient protection. In a statement after the vote, Senator Mark Warner said enforceable requirements were needed to keep families from bearing the costs of data-centre development.
The vote leaves the bill stalled; it does not introduce new electricity-pricing rules. The dispute comes as lawmakers face public concern over the strain that expanding data centres place on power infrastructure.
