House passes bill to protect consumers from energy price hikes caused by data centers

With pressure growing to do something about artificial intelligence and data centers, the House overwhelmingly passed legislation intended to shield consumers from increased energy costs when new data centers are built in their communities.

In a rare moment of bipartisanship, the vote was 417-3. The bill is known as the Ratepayers Protection Act. It is the only legislation related to artificial intelligence scheduled for a vote this week while Congress considers how it’s going to deal with the dire warnings that have emerged over the last week, according to NBC News.

The House is holding its final votes Wednesday evening before the November 3 midterm elections. The Senate will still be in session for a few more weeks, so this will be the only AI-related legislation passed, at least until the lame-duck session after the midterms.