WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, on Tuesday, a bill that would set a federal standard aimed at shielding electricity customers from rising costs tied to large-load users such as artificial intelligence data centers, according to a statement from U.S. Rep. Dave Taylor, R-Ohio.
Taylor, who represents Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District, said he voted in favor of the bill, which would require data centers and other large-load electricity users to pay their share of the costs they add to the grid rather than passing those costs on to residential ratepayers.
“Ohio is rapidly emerging as a national hub for digital infrastructure, and Buckeye families should not have to bear rising energy costs resulting from local data center development,” Taylor said in a statement. “Today, I was proud to vote in support of the Ratepayer Protection Act to ensure data centers pay their fair share and shield consumers from soaring prices. Winning the AI race against adversaries like China should not come at the expense of Americans’ pocketbooks, and I encourage local, state, and federal officials to continue working collaboratively to enhance transparency in the development process, establish Ohio as a national energy leader, and ensure our state remains an affordable place to live and raise a family for generations to come.”
The vote comes as large-scale data center and energy projects have been announced across Taylor’s district, including the planned AI data center and gas-fired power campus proposed for the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site in Pike County, one of several projects that have raised questions locally about who ultimately pays for the electricity infrastructure needed to support the facilities.
Taylor’s district includes Clermont, Clinton, Pike, Adams, Brown, Highland, Ross, Scioto, Pickaway, Hocking, Vinton, Jackson, Lawrence, Gallia and Meigs counties, along with part of Fayette County. He serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Agriculture Committee. Before being elected to Congress, Taylor worked as an assistant prosecutor in Clermont County and later served as president of his family’s concrete business.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the office of U.S. Rep. Dave Taylor.
