House Panel Advances AI Data Center Power Bill as U.S. Sites Top 4,000

3 articles · Updated · Realtor.com News · Jul 20

The House Energy and Commerce Committee moved the Protecting Families From AI Data Center Energy Costs Act to full committee markup, advancing a proposal aimed at shielding households from electricity bill increases tied to large data centers.
The bill would require FERC to convene utilities, regulators, data center developers and ratepayer advocates to craft strategies for allocating the power-system costs created by large energy users.
Nearly 200 data centers are in Ohio, while the U.S. has more than 4,000 overall, including at least 570 in Virginia and 408 in Texas, underscoring why states and cities are increasingly scrutinizing or restricting new projects.
Goldman Sachs estimates data center power demand will more than double from 2025 to 2027, even though only 50% to 60% of planned capacity may come online because of delays and cancellations.
The measure adds pressure on the Trump administration, which has urged developers to supply their own power and backed large nuclear projects, but sponsors say new generation is not being approved fast enough to prevent consumer price increases.