Congress weighs charging tech firms to power the AI data-center boom

The House will debate the Ratepayer Protection Act, which would require utilities to adopt a “large load” standard and have data-center builders pay for grid upgrades to power AI, effectively making tech firms cover a portion of AI-related electricity costs. The measure codifies the White House pledge and has bipartisan support, but its path to becoming law remains uncertain, with major operators like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and SpaceX’s xAI involved in the debate.