House committee advances data center ratepayer bill

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has advanced H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, by a 52-0 vote.

• The bill would require state public utility commissions to consider a large-load standard so that data centers and other large-load customers pay the full incremental cost of generation, transmission, and distribution upgrades needed to serve them.
• The legislation would amend Section 111(d) of PURPA and define large-load customers as non-residential electric consumers with peak demand of 100 megawatts or more at a site or campus; Chairman Brett Guthrie, Chairman Bob Latta, and Rep. Gabe Evans all supported the measure.