All articles tagged with #ratepayer protection
House Energy and Commerce’s top Democrat, Frank Pallone, called for a nationwide moratorium on AI data center expansion, arguing ratepayers shouldn’t shoulder rising costs and backing the Ratepayer Protection Act; the move aligns with progressive and environmental advocates seeking stronger oversight, with support from Google and Microsoft and pushback from others highlighting broader energy factors.
UC Berkeley's Center for Law, Energy and the Environment says California's electricity bills have surged 8–10% annually for the past decade, now averaging 35–45 cents per kilowatt-hour, with about 1 in 5 customers behind on payments. Wildfire costs are the biggest driver, with regulators approving over $40 billion for wildfire costs from 2019–2024 (roughly $26.6B for prevention/undergrounding and $13.6B for insurance/victims), making wildfire costs 14–19% of the average bill ($250–$500 more per year). The report recommends structural reforms: cap profits on wildfire-related projects and curb related spending via measures like SB 1098 to limit balancing/memorandum accounts, encourage private investment in mitigation through SB 905, and boost CPUC staffing and independent review to rein in spending, all aiming to bend the cost curve toward affordability.
House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie faces local pushback over data centers in Kentucky as counties pause or oppose projects; he avoids a nationwide ban, calls for investigations into foreign influence, and supports a ratepayer-protection pledge to ensure data centers cover their own energy costs, while a large Hancock County project proceeds amid community concerns about who benefits from AI infrastructure.