Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) took to the Senate floor Tuesday to eviscerate the Republican-backed Ratepayer Protection Act, calling it 'optional' and 'toothless' as AI data centers continue to strain the nation's power grid.
'Americans are demanding real guardrails on AI and data centers, but all Republicans offer is a toothless messaging bill,' Schumer said. 'The bill is a fraud. I can sum up the shortcomings of Republicans' data center bill with one word: optional.' He later accused Republicans of seeking an 'ineffectual participation trophy.'
The House passed H.R. 9340 by a lopsided 417-3 vote on Sept. 16, a rare display of bipartisanship aimed at addressing household electricity costs tied to the data-center boom. The measure would establish a federal standard under which state regulators would consider requiring large-load customers with at least 100 megawatts of peak demand to cover the full incremental cost of generation, transmission and distribution upgrades needed to serve them.
But here's the catch: the bill only requires state regulators to consider that standard and make a determination within two years. It doesn't compel states to adopt it. That distinction is exactly what Schumer seized on.
The Senate Fight Shifts to Data Center Costs
Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) blocked Sen. Jon Husted's (R-Ohio) attempt to clear the legislation by unanimous consent, instead promoting his own GRID Savings Act. That bill would direct federal regulators to require large-load customers to pay for facilities needed to connect them to the grid.
Husted, for his part, calls his measure 'the most meaningful bipartisan step Congress could take' to protect consumers from higher electricity prices. President Donald Trump has also discussed advancing the bill with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), as Republicans emphasize affordability ahead of November's midterms.
AI Power Demand Raises the Stakes for Ratepayers
The debate comes as AI infrastructure reshapes U.S. power demand in ways that are hard to overstate. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates data centers could consume 11.8% of U.S. electricity by 2030, with scenarios ranging from 9.5% to 15.3%. The EIA, in a press release this month, said it expects electricity generation to rise 2.2% to a record level in 2026, citing data-center development as a major driver.
The White House has separately expanded its voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge, under which technology companies and power providers commit to preventing data-center infrastructure costs from shifting to households.
'A guardrail that is optional isn't a guardrail at all,' Schumer said, urging Republicans to pursue 'meaningful action' rather than what he described as 'hollow proposals.'
