US Senate blocks bill aimed at shielding consumers from AI energy costs
By Emma Whitford ( September 30, 2026, 20:40 GMT | Insight) -- The US Senate on Wednesday blocked Republicans’ effort to pass the Ratepayer Protection Act, a bill aimed at sparing consumers from data center-induced energy bill hikes. The 57-43 vote came after the House overwhelmingly passed the bill earlier this month. Senate Democrats said they did not believe the legislation would be effective in practice.The US Senate on Wednesday blocked Republicans’ effort to pass the Ratepayer Protection Act, a bill aimed at sparing consumers from data center-induced energy bill hikes. The 57-43 vote came after the House overwhelmingly passed the bill earlier this month. Senate Democrats said they did not believe the legislation would be effective in practice....
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