CONGRESSMAN
U.S. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., voted last month for H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, legislation that would require state utility regulators to consider rules requiring data centers to cover the full cost of energy infrastructure upgrades needed to meet their electricity demands.
The U.S. House passed the bill Sept. 16. Cline, who represents Virginia’s 6th District, is a cosponsor.
The legislation is intended to protect residential and business ratepayers from potentially rising utility costs associated with infrastructure improvements needed to serve data centers.
“Working families, small businesses, and farmers should not have to shoulder the cost of the increasingly massive demand from data centers on our power grid,” Cline said.
Cline, who is up for re-election and being challenged by Democrat Beth Macy, said data centers disrupt rural communities and expressed support for local governments taking steps to prevent them from locating in rural areas.
“The Ratepayer Protection Act will hold data centers accountable for the cost of new energy infrastructure,” he said. “Taxpayers’ hard-earned money should go to supporting local families and investing in small businesses, not supporting data centers and big tech companies.”
– The Salem Times-Register
