Van Hollen Statement on Opposition to Moving Forward on Ratepayer Protection Act Without Meaningful Action to Lower Costs for Americans

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding his vote against moving forward with the Ratepayer Protection Act, legislation that fails to address the rising electricity costs and reduced energy reliability Americans are facing, largely due to data centers. “Far too many Americans are facing skyrocketing electricity bills, due in large part to the recent explosion of data centers across our country. This is unacceptable – working Americans shouldn’t be forced to foot the bill for the richest companies in the world. That’s why I put forward comprehensive legislation to actually address this issue: the Power for the People Act . If Republicans were serious about protecting working families from rising electricity bills due to data centers, then we’d be taking up my Power for the People Act, which puts real guardrails on data centers and prevents consumers from subsidizing Big Tech’s energy needs, while also tackling pollution and creating good paying jobs and apprenticeships. “Unfortunately, instead, Republicans put forward a bill with no teeth – and provided no guarantees that we would consider my amendment to this bill. I cannot support a bill that promises protection but delivers nothing – without the opportunity to consider real solutions that would actually help consumers and lower energy costs. This bill would still leave Americans shouldering Big Tech’s costs with no assurance of relief. “Americans deserve real solutions. When my Republican colleagues decide to address the need to truly protect consumers from soaring electricity bills, they should work with us to pass my Power for the People Act.”