HR9340119th CongressWALLET

Ratepayer Protection Act

Sponsored By: Representative Evans, Gabe [R-CO-8]

Passed House

Summary

Requires large data-center customers to pay for necessary grid upgrades upfront and lets utilities recover those costs. This bill would create a new federal PURPA standard that forces electric utilities to recover the full incremental cost of any generation, transmission, or distribution upgrade needed to serve certain large information-technology facilities and to require upfront financial assurances from those customers before upgrades proceed.

Show full summary
  • Large IT-focused customers. Non‑residential data centers that together draw a peak demand of 100 megawatts or more at a single site or campus must provide financial assurances or contributions to cover upgrade costs before utilities upgrade capacity. Cost recovery applies even if the customer later ends a contract or stops purchases.
  • Electric utilities. Utilities must charge rates that recover the full incremental cost of upgrades needed to serve these large-load customers, creating pricing discipline and a non‑elective financing framework for upgrades.
  • States and nonregulated utilities. Regulators and nonregulated utilities must begin consideration of the standard within 1 year and complete a determination within 2 years, except where a state already implemented a comparable standard, had an active regulatory proceeding, or its legislature voted on implementation.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

States face deadlines on data center grid rule

If enacted, within 1 year state regulators and nonregulated utilities would have to start or set a hearing to consider the new standard. Within 2 years, they would have to finish consideration and make a determination. These deadlines would not apply in states that already implemented, considered, or had a legislature vote on a comparable standard before enactment. The bill would treat the date of enactment for this standard as the day paragraph (22) becomes law.

Big data centers pay for grid upgrades

If enacted, utilities would have to charge very large data centers for the full, incremental cost of grid upgrades they need. The rule would cover non-residential facilities that mainly run IT and data storage and have 100 megawatts or more of peak demand at one site or campus. Utilities would have to get money or financial guarantees from those customers before starting upgrades. Utilities would still recover those costs from the customer even if the customer ends its power contract or stops buying power. This would lower the chance that other ratepayers pay for these upgrade costs.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Evans, Gabe [R-CO-8]

CO • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14]

    FL • D

    Sponsored 6/18/2026

  • Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2]

    NJ • R

    Sponsored 6/23/2026

  • Rep. Joyce, John [R-PA-13]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 6/25/2026

  • Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 6/29/2026

  • Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5]

    WA • R

    Sponsored 6/29/2026

  • Rep. Fuller, Clay [R-GA-14]

    GA • R

    Sponsored 6/30/2026

  • Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1]

    VA • R

    Sponsored 6/30/2026

  • Rep. Onder, Robert F. [R-MO-3]

    MO • R

    Sponsored 7/13/2026

  • Rep. Hageman, Harriet M. [R-WY-At Large]

    WY • R

    Sponsored 7/20/2026

  • Rep. Kean, Thomas H. [R-NJ-7]

    NJ • R

    Sponsored 7/20/2026

  • Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3]

    WI • R

    Sponsored 7/20/2026

  • Rep. McGuire, John J. [R-VA-5]

    VA • R

    Sponsored 7/20/2026

  • Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9]

    VA • R

    Sponsored 7/21/2026

  • Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 7/23/2026

  • Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2]

    GA • D

    Sponsored 7/27/2026

  • Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4]

    VA • D

    Sponsored 8/3/2026

  • Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 8/3/2026

  • Rep. Lee, Laurel M. [R-FL-15]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 8/17/2026

  • Rep. Cuellar, Henry [D-TX-28]

    TX • D

    Sponsored 8/17/2026

  • Rep. Cline, Ben [R-VA-6]

    VA • R

    Sponsored 8/27/2026

  • Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 8/27/2026

  • Rep. McDonald Rivet, Kristen [D-MI-8]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 8/27/2026

  • Rep. Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-4]

    CO • R

    Sponsored 8/27/2026

  • Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]

    NY • R

    Sponsored 8/27/2026

  • Rep. Van Duyne, Beth [R-TX-24]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 8/27/2026

  • Rep. Finstad, Brad [R-MN-1]

    MN • R

    Sponsored 8/31/2026

  • Rep. Crank, Jeff [R-CO-5]

    CO • R

    Sponsored 8/31/2026

  • Rep. Moore, Riley M. [R-WV-2]

    WV • R

    Sponsored 8/31/2026

  • Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]

    GA • R

    Sponsored 8/31/2026

  • Rep. Jordan, Jim [R-OH-4]

    OH • R

    Sponsored 9/1/2026

  • Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2]

    VA • R

    Sponsored 9/1/2026

  • Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2]

    MI • R

    Sponsored 9/2/2026

  • Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 9/2/2026

  • Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]

    NJ • R

    Sponsored 9/2/2026

  • Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]

    NH • D

    Sponsored 9/4/2026

  • Rep. Huizenga, Bill [R-MI-4]

    MI • R

    Sponsored 9/10/2026

  • Rep. Hurd, Jeff [R-CO-3]

    CO • R

    Sponsored 9/10/2026

  • Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22]

    CA • R

    Sponsored 9/10/2026

  • Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7]

    MI • R

    Sponsored 9/10/2026

  • Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 9/10/2026

  • Rep. Fallon, Pat [R-TX-4]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 9/10/2026

  • Rep. Flood, Mike [R-NE-1]

    NE • R

    Sponsored 9/10/2026

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 474 • No: 46

senate vote • 9/30/2026

On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed H.R. 9340

Yes: 57 • No: 43

house vote • 9/16/2026

On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended

Yes: 417 • No: 3

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