Senate Hold Halts Bipartisan AI Data-Center Power Bill After House Vote

In Washington, Sen. Martin Heinrich, the lone Senate Democrat, blocked a bipartisan bill—the Ratepayer Protection Act—designed to require large electricity users (such as AI data centers) to pay for grid upgrades, despite the House passing the measure 417-3; Heinrich argued it doesn’t go far enough and pushed an alternative GRID Savings Act, while Republicans accused him of delaying relief as AI infrastructure costs loom ahead of the midterm elections.