09/17/2026
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) voted for the Ratepayer Protection Act (H.R. 9340) to ensure that data centers pay their own way for the electricity necessary to power them, not hardworking Americans in rural communities.
“With multiple data center proposals in Southern and Eastern Kentucky, we need proper guardrails in place to make sure no costs are added to the skyrocketing utility bills for families and businesses in our rural region,” said Congressman Rogers. “As AI technology growth continues to boom, we need a strategy in place that locks in benefits for Rural America, while also protecting families and businesses from footing the bill.”
The Ratepayer Protection Act amends the Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish a federal standard relating to the recovery of the full, incremental costs of electric system upgrades necessary to serve large-load customers.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump introduced the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, committing utilities, data center developers, cooperatives and states not to pass the costs of data centers on to American families and businesses. Several Kentucky utility companies signed the pledge, which now has more than 300 signatures nationwide, covering 80 percent of all power delivered in America.
The bill now advances to the Senate for consideration.
