What they said. What they meant.

“Let's vote to suspend the rules and pass this bill. This bill amends an old law. It sets a new federal standard. Utilities will have to charge certain big customers the full cost of electric service upgrades they need. I am moving for its passage now.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. It makes large power users, like big data centers, pay for the electric grid upgrades they need.”

“Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9340) to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish a Federal standard relating to the recovery of the full, incremental costs of upgrades that serve large-load customers, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows:”

“I want this bill to pass. I want to protect households and small businesses from paying for electric grid upgrades needed for large data centers. States should do this. The bill protects state authority. Data centers can be good for communities. They can improve the grid. They can increase tax money. They can lower rates. Electricity demand is growing fast. I want AI to develop in the U.S., not in China. China should not set standards. This bill is a good balance. I worked on this with a colleague from the other party. We listened to voters. Now we are acting. I urge colleagues to support the bill.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. It protects families and small businesses from paying for power grid upgrades needed by large data centers. It also keeps technology jobs in America instead of China.”

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, sponsored by my colleague and friend from Colorado, Congressman Evans. This bill encourages States to protect our neighbors and small businesses from footing the bill for infrastructure investments needed for the AI race, while protecting existing State authorities. The evidence is clear: When States have the proper processes in place to protect households, interconnecting large-load data centers have positive benefits for the communities in which they reside. Data center growth can be a catalyst for investment in an aging grid, strengthening the tax base to fund essential public services and anchor tenants for utilities that lower rates for everyone else. Electricity demand is growing at a pace not seen since World War II, and communities are rightly concerned about what this might mean for their daily lives. As this industry continues to develop, I want to be absolutely clear that we need it to develop here at home and not in China. H.R. 9340 takes action on behalf of our constituents so we may keep costs low while ensuring the U.S. leads in the next-generation economy. If we cede the race for AI dominance to China, then China will set the standards for future technology. This bill strikes the right balance of providing a modest but important level of accountability as we continue to support this vital industry. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Colorado again for his tireless bipartisan leadership on this issue. He is bringing together both sides of the aisle on a critical issue. I would say, we were home, working in our districts in August. We listened to our constituents, and we are here today based on what we heard, taking action here in Washington, D.C. That is how our system is supposed to work. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.”

“Data centers are great. They bring jobs. They bring money. Teachers get bonuses. People get lower taxes. Big Tech helps local areas. President Trump got companies to pay their own way. This bill helps with that. Some people say data centers make electricity more expensive. That's not true. A study says it's not true. States with all Democrats have higher prices. That's because bad policies make people leave. States with good policies have more people and lower prices. Don't let China win. Pass this bill.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. It protects people from higher power bills by making big data centers pay for their own electricity upgrades. Data centers do not raise energy costs, and they bring jobs, lower taxes, and new money to local towns. Local communities should be able to welcome these projects and get the benefits.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee (Mr. Guthrie) for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this really important bill by my friend Mr. Evans from Colorado who led on this issue. Mr. Speaker, we are talking about the latest advancement in technology. If you think about the history of this great Nation as we celebrate 250 years of America, one of the things that America has been so successful at has been always being on the frontier of new innovations. In fact, in the last 150 years, America has led the world in advancements in technology. Today is no different. In fact, today, America is at the heart of the domination of technology all around the world. If you think about some of the simplest things we are able to do in our lives, that give us the ability to have more free time, or the things you can do on a cell phone that would have taken a supercomputer 30 years ago to do, that is because of advancements in technology. Artificial intelligence and data centers are no different. It is another advancement in technology. As we are advancing in technology, we have to do it the right way, Mr. Speaker, in a smart and thoughtful way. If you look at communities that have embraced data centers, some communities said it is not for me, and that is a choice communities make. The Federal Government is not the one making that decision. What we have always said, and what President Trump took the leadership in doing, is meeting with all of the Big Tech companies building these massive data centers and said just make sure as you are making these big investments in communities, you won't add to the cost of a local community's ratepayer electricity rates. The President got a commitment to do that. We are not fully codifying that. It is, in essence, a step in that direction what this bill is doing. But as the President did that, you saw companies going and making massive multibillion-dollar investments in some of our communities and helping those communities along the way, Mr. Speaker. That story does not get told. Frankly, I think that story needs to get told more. I have seen massive data centers in my home State of Louisiana. In fact, if you go to little Richland Parish, a rural part of north Louisiana that not a lot of people live in, not a lot of opportunities for wealth in that parish, Mr. Speaker, but then Meta decided to build a data center, and that data center grew and grew as the community embraced it. They worked with the community. They are building their own natural gas facilities. It is actually going to help the grid in that community because they are going to be paying their own way and anything extra they have is going to be off-loaded to the grid so the neighbors in that community will actually get lower utility rates. Do you know what else happened, Mr. Speaker? This is another part of the story that is not getting told enough, but the data center is still being built. It is up to about $50 billion in private funding that is being built in little Richland Parish. As they are building that data center, because of all of the increased sales tax collections to Richland Parish, they were able to give a bonus. I am not talking about the base salary of their schoolteachers. They gave a bonus to every schoolteacher in Richland Parish because of the building of that data center. Mr. Speaker, do you know how much every schoolteacher in Richland Parish received a few months ago because of the data center? They received a bonus of $50,000 per teacher because of the data center. Those are the stories that you are seeing in communities that have embraced it, where they worked with the local community. It is not a burden on that community. It is actually a tremendous benefit. Not only teachers will benefit, but small businesses are cropping up. Loudoun County in Virginia, Mr. Speaker, is another community that made the decision for themselves. It is not a Washington choice. It is a local community choice, and I think everybody would agree with that. If there are local communities that don't want it, believe me there are other communities that will take those benefits. Loudoun County in Virginia got the benefits of their data centers to the tune of a 30 percent reduction in property taxes for every homeowner in Loudoun County, Virginia. They are benefiting from that still to this day, as well as the jobs that come along with it. They are benefiting from the investment, the buildings that come along, and the small business growth that we are seeing. There has been this assertion, Mr. Speaker, some of it funded by China, that data centers are driving up utility prices. There was a study done. In fact, the Institute for Energy Research did a State-by- State study in all 50 States of this country and they looked at energy costs, the kilowatt-per-hour cost in every State. Some States have data centers. Some States don't. The study is titled: ``Have Data Centers Driven Up Electricity Prices?'' Their conclusion was clearly no, they do not. There was no disparity in kilowatt hours per customer in States that have data centers and States that don't. Again, a lot of that is because President Trump made all of the data centers, the companies that build them, give those pledges that they will not have a negative impact on the ratepayers. What they did find, Mr. Speaker, was quite interesting, and that was a disparity that does exist in electricity prices between States. It is not all States. What they ultimately looked at is States that have a unified government, all one party, either Republican or either Democrat. The States that have all unified Democratic Party control in those States actually have higher electricity costs than States that have all Republican. The Institute for Energy Research did the study. You can go find it online. It shows you State by State the kilowatt-per-hour cost. The reason it is rising is because a lot of those States that have unified Democratic government are also States that are losing population. Some hundreds of thousands to nearly millions of people have fled those States. As those States lose population because of bad policies, Mr. Speaker, their baseload capacity is the same. The cost to run their grid is the same. It is spread amongst fewer people because their bad policies are running hundreds of thousands or a million-plus people out of the State. The States that are growing, that have good government policies, and that are attracting people and jobs, those States have lower kilowatt- per-hour costs for their consumers because the same grid has the same fixed costs, but there is more people to spread the cost around so those people pay less. That is what actually is happening in this country. Look at all the States. Go look at the Institute for Energy Research study, Mr. Speaker, because it shows you what is really happening out there. There is a revolution happening. China is competing, and America is competing. We surely do not want China to win this war. America is staying at the forefront. I want us to stay at the forefront. Let locals make the choice and let consumers reap the benefits. That is what is happening right now, and this bill, by my friend Congressman Evans, ensures that we continue to see that growth continue. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption.”

“I want this bill to pass. It says big data centers pay for their own electricity. I don't want regular people to pay for that. Electricity prices are up. Big data centers use a lot of power. That might cause problems. My bill says states should make data centers pay. More power plants are closing. That's a problem. This bill will make Big Tech pay. Regular people won't have to. Everyone on the committee agreed with this bill. I want the House to pass it.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. Big data centers use huge amounts of power. This bill makes sure those companies pay for the power grid upgrades they need, so everyday families and small businesses do not see their electric bills go up.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, the chairman of the full Committee on Energy and Commerce, for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, led by the gentleman from Colorado's Eighth Congressional District. This legislation passed out of our Energy and Commerce Committee with a 52-0 vote. Mr. Speaker, the goal here is very simple: Data centers should pay their own way. That is why this legislation is so important. We must ensure that American families and small businesses are protected from electricity price increases caused by large loads like data centers. The increase in data center development raises important questions about how these facilities will affect local electric grids in nearby communities. H.R. 9340 encourages States to establish a standard that requires large data centers to cover the full costs necessary to service their loads. Over the last 5 years, electricity rates have steadily increased across the country. While data center demand growth is exploding, at the same time, record amounts of baseload generation are prematurely leaving our grids. This is a problem that must be addressed. H.R. 9340 ensures that States can hold AI companies responsible for their own costs and that hardworking American families aren't on the hook for the bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge the House to pass the Ratepayer Protection Act.”

“I want this bill to pass. Big data centers use a lot of power. I don't want regular people to pay for that. I want the big companies to pay their share. My state does this already. I want all states to do it too. The bill lets local areas still control projects. A colleague worked hard on this bill. I want others to vote for it.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. Big data centers use a lot of power. This bill makes sure they pay for the electric grid upgrades they need, so regular families and small businesses do not get stuck with higher power bills.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act. This bill codifies the principles of the President's Ratepayer Protection Pledge, ensuring that Ohio families and small businesses aren't left on the hook to pay the costs associated with generation and energy infrastructure needed to power large data centers. As demand for electricity continues to rise across Ohio and the Nation, it is critical that Congress takes action to protect our constituents from increased electric bills. Ohio has already taken strong steps to make sure large electricity users contribute appropriately to the costs they impose on the grid. The Ratepayer Protection Act builds on that commonsense approach by directing States to adopt standards that ensure these facilities pay their fair share. Importantly, this bill does not infringe on local control over the siting and permitting of these projects. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Evans for leading this bipartisan legislation and urge my colleagues to support the bill.”

“I support this bill. I sponsored it. We have more energy use now. We have more data centers. Some people worry about data centers. But we need them. If we don't build power systems for them, then China will control our data. People in my district want growth. They don't want China to control their data. People wonder who will pay for the new power systems. The bill says big data centers pay. Not regular people. Not small businesses. The bill lets states and local areas have a say. The bill helps keep power bills low. It helps us win against China in tech. It helps keep American data here, not in China. I want my colleagues to vote for it.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. It makes large data centers pay for the power grid upgrades they need, instead of passing those costs on to families and small businesses. We need more energy for technology so we do not have to rely on China to store our data, but regular Americans should not have to pay higher electric bills for it.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan bill with Representative Castor, the Ratepayer Protection Act. America is in a period of incredible growth. Manufacturing jobs are returning to our shores. We are investing in American energy again. We are leading the charge for technological innovation. With that growth, our demand for energy is also skyrocketing, and some people have very understandable reservations and questions about data centers. The future, however, is binary: Either we build out our power systems to meet that demand, or we become dependent on other countries, like Communist China, for our daily needs, to include digital infrastructure that stores Americans' consumer data, financial data, healthcare data, and personal data. Hardworking Coloradans in my district do want economic growth, and they do not want the Chinese Communist Party handling their sensitive information. They want responsible development practices, but they see the need for massive investments in our energy systems and wonder who is going to pay for it. This bill answers that question very clearly. Large-load data centers must cover the full costs of any system upgrades they require, not families or small businesses. We cannot accelerate this growth on the backs of Americans who are working hard to pay their electric bills at the end of the month. The Ratepayer Protection Act also gives States and local communities a voice to implement these principles and protect community members from rising utility bills. This bill passed unanimously in the Energy and Commerce Committee. It is common sense. It keeps costs low for Americans and helps us build the energy backbone required to compete and win in the AI race and to keep Americans' digital information here in the United States, not in China. Madam Speaker, I am grateful it is being considered today. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.”

“I want this bill to pass. I sponsored it. I am from Virginia. We have many data centers. Some are in my district. Data centers are good for business. But they use a lot of power. They strain the grid. That could make electric bills higher for families. That is not fair. Data centers should pay for their own power needs. Not regular people. Not small businesses. I want to make sure my voters don't pay more. I want my colleagues to vote for the bill.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. Data centers use huge amounts of power and strain our electric grid. Tech companies should pay for their own power grid upgrades, so regular families do not get stuck with higher electric bills.”

“Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act. This legislation will require State utility regulators to examine standards to ensure that data centers pay all the costs associated with their power generation, transmission lines, and grid upgrades needed to serve their facilities. The Commonwealth of Virginia is home to approximately 13 percent of all data centers in the world. Some of these data centers are located in the district that I represent. While data centers create economic opportunities for our communities, they also come with enormous challenges. Data centers support telehealth, mobile banking for American small businesses, and everyday technologies like streaming services. At the same time, they consume massive amounts of power and place increasing strain on our electric grid while threatening to increase costs for families. Virginians and Americans who choose to have data centers in their communities should not be paying higher electric bills as a result. Instead, these costs should be borne directly by the data center developers, the primary catalysts of this increased demand for energy. We have a responsibility to ensure that our constituents are not picking up the tab for data centers, and this legislation will do exactly that. I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Ratepayer Protection Act, and I urge all of my colleagues to support its passage.”

“Data centers use a lot of power. Big tech companies should pay for that. Not families. Not small businesses. They can afford it. Some states already do this. They get tax money from data centers. Power companies froze rates for families. We want America to build data centers. But not on the backs of regular people. This bill makes sure big companies pay. That is fair. Let's pass the bill.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. Big data centers use huge amounts of electricity, and they should pay for the extra power and power lines they need. Families and small businesses should not have to pay higher electric bills for them.”

“Madam Speaker, America is in a race for the future, and that future is artificial intelligence. We need to build data centers that will power American AI. We need to create jobs, grow our economy, and make sure that the next generation of technology is built right here in the United States. But there is one principle that we should never compromise: American families should not be forced to pay for someone else's data center. That is exactly what the Ratepayer Protection Act addresses. If a massive data center wants to come in and consume hundreds of megawatts of electricity, it should pay the full incremental costs of providing that power, not the families struggling to pay their electric bills and not the small businesses trying to keep their doors open. The companies creating the demand should pay for the demand. This is not antibusiness. It is not anti-AI. It is certainly not antigrowth. It is common sense. In fact, when we get this right, the data centers can actually strengthen communities. Georgia Power was able to freeze residential rates for 3 years as large-load growth expanded. In Virginia, data centers took on a dramatically larger share of transmission costs while residential customers saw their share decline. In Loudoun County alone, data centers have generated $1.1 billion in tax revenue. Madam Speaker, let's build. Let's compete. Let's win the AI race. Let's also protect the people who keep this country running. The Ratepayer Protection Act gives States a practical tool to make sure that massive new electricity users pay their fair share while preserving State authority over their energy markets. America can lead the world in AI without making American families foot the bill. That is not a radical idea. That is responsible leadership, and I applaud my colleague from Colorado (Mr. Evans) for leading on this issue.”

“New York families pay too much for electricity. Prices are 70% higher than the national average. Prices went up 58% in six years. Data centers want to use 9,000 megawatts more electricity. This will make things worse. Our state government is bad. They shut down nuclear plants. They banned natural gas. They blocked pipelines. That already made electricity more expensive. Data centers should pay for their own power. Not families. Not small businesses. Those companies can afford it. They want more power. They should pay for the costs. We need to protect people. We need rules. I want this bill to pass.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. Electricity already costs too much in New York. Huge data centers want to connect to our power grid, and they need a lot of electricity. Big companies should pay for the power upgrades they need, instead of passing those costs onto families and small businesses.”

“Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act. New York families and businesses face some of the highest electricity costs in the country. In February, the average residential electricity price in New York reached about 70 percent higher than the national average, and it is up 58 percent in the last 6 years. At the same time, data centers seeking to connect to New York's electric grid are reportedly requesting more than 9,000 megawatts of additional electricity. Years of failed energy policies out of Albany, including shutting down nuclear, banning natural gas, blocking pipelines, and other crazy ideas, have already driven up costs for New Yorkers. We cannot afford to make the problem worse. As we work to bring new investments and jobs to New York and, indeed, America, we need to make sure that the costs of growth do not fall on the families and small businesses already struggling to pay their utility bills. That is why I support the Ratepayer Protection Act. This legislation simply establishes a basic principle of fairness. It is about making sure that the companies driving new demand for electricity are responsible for the costs associated with that demand. We are already seeing communities and policymakers grappling with how to manage the rapid growth of large-scale data centers and the demands that they place on our energy infrastructure. This is something that the Federal Government needs to work together on to create regulations and protect the people because we need a better approach. We need one that respects the role of local communities while ensuring that companies driving new demand are responsible for the costs that they create. We need a policy that looks ahead, builds the infrastructure we need, and protects ratepayers at the same time. I will continue working to ensure that New Yorkers have access to reliable and affordable energy while making sure that large energy users pay their fair share. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.”

“Communities have more demand for electricity. Data centers cause that. People in my district are already hurt by high prices. Biden caused that. I don't want people to pay for new data centers. The grid needs upgrades. But families and seniors shouldn't pay. Big companies should pay. I want this bill to pass. It will make big companies pay. Local governments will still control things. I want everyone to vote for this bill.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. New data centers need huge amounts of power, which makes fixing and growing our electric grid very expensive. Regular families, seniors, and small businesses should not have to pay higher electric bills for that work. The companies that need all that extra power should pay for it instead.”

“Madam Speaker, communities throughout the Nation are seeing unprecedented growth in electricity demand, driven in large part by data centers and other energy-intensive facilities. That growing demand is already having a direct impact on communities like those that I represent in the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos, where, after 4 years of severe inflation under President Biden, residents are being put in a position where they could end up footing the energy bill for new data centers. The rapid growth of these facilities requires unprecedented new investments in our electric grid. While the grid capacity will catch up eventually, the short-term costs of those investments must not be passed on to families, seniors, and small businesses, many of whom don't want data centers in their communities in the first place. That is why I am proud to cosponsor the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act, because large energy consumers who create the demand for new energy infrastructure should pay their fair share of the cost. We can maintain local control of development activities while also protecting existing ratepayers, and that is exactly what this legislation does. I thank Representative Evans for his partnership on this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 9340.”

“We need to beat China in AI. Data centers are important. But we need local control over where they are built. Taxpayers shouldn't pay for the extra costs. My constituents told me they agree. I want everyone to vote yes on this bill.”

“We need data centers so we can beat China in the race for artificial intelligence. But local communities should decide where they go, and regular people should not have to pay for the extra power they use. I urge everyone to vote for this bill.”

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. I agree, this is important. We have to beat China. We have to win the war on AI. If we don't, they are going to set the standards for technology around the world. It needs to be with our values, not theirs. To do that, we have to have the data centers. It needs to be locally decided where they go, and ratepayers need to be protected from it. That is what I heard all of August. I think most of us home working heard about it. This is an example where people are going home, both sides of the aisle, listening, and coming back here and doing something about the concerns for the people they represent. I encourage support of this bill. I encourage for its passage, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Miller of Illinois). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 9340, as amended. The question was taken.”