The U.S. House of Representatives is moving to process a bill that would require data center operators to pay grid costs arising from the spread of AI data centers. The House is expected to begin voting as early as this week on the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act.

On Sept. 16 local time, blockchain outlet Cryptopolitan reported that the bill would make large AI data centers that use more than 100 megawatts of electricity pay for expanded infrastructure such as new grid capacity and transmission lines. It would also allow state governments to create separate rules so that, if the growth in data centers requires power facility investment, the cost cannot be passed on to households or small businesses.

The move comes as U.S. power demand rises quickly. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projected U.S. electricity demand would increase to 427.0 billion kilowatt-hours in 2026 and 434.9 billion kilowatt-hours in 2027 from 419.5 billion kilowatt-hours in 2025. It cited not only the expansion of AI and cryptocurrency-related data centers, but also electrification in buildings and transportation, as factors behind the increase.

Representative Gabe Evans, who introduced the bill, argued that large data centers must take "full financial responsibility" for the power infrastructure they require. He said ordinary power consumers should not have to shoulder those costs, as expenses for generation and transmission facilities could remain even after a data center cuts operations or withdraws.

Representative Kathy Castor, a co-sponsor, also said the burden of higher electricity bills from the growth in data centers should not be passed on to local residents. Debate is intensifying over the cost burden on households and small businesses as large power demand emerges in places such as Florida that are actively trying to attract data centers.

Along with the cost issue, the bill also calls for states to put systems in place. It includes a provision requiring states without data center-related rules to set regional standards after holding public hearings. House leaders are expected to put the bill on a fast-track procedure.

The growing scale of electricity required by AI data centers is also increasing the burden on power companies. That is because they consume large amounts of electricity not only for servers but also for cooling facilities. Some data center projects require power on the order of hundreds of megawatts, requiring large investments in not only power plants but also transmission and distribution networks.

The question is who bears the cost. If grid expansion costs are spread across all customers, electricity bills could rise for households and small and medium-sized businesses with no direct link to data centers. The bill is an attempt to adjust that cost structure.

State-level responses are also continuing. New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged local governments seeking to attract data centers to secure a pledge of at least $1 million per megawatt in community investment from technology companies. That would amount to a demand for about $50 million in local investment for a 50-megawatt data center.

New York State also drew up guidelines that local governments can use when negotiating with large technology companies. Hochul said the growth of the AI industry should not become a burden on local communities and households.

The competition over U.S. data centers is now moving into a stage in which the focus is not only investment and jobs but also who will pay for electricity bills and grid costs. With power infrastructure needed to support the expansion of the AI industry, attention is on whether passage of the bill would change principles on how costs are borne by large data centers.