Congressman Patronis Votes to Advance Legislation to Protect Consumers from Rising Utility Costs Driven by AI Data Centers

September 17, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. – Late Wednesday evening, Congressman Jimmy Patronis (R-FL) voted to advance H.R. 9340 the Ratepayer Protection Act to ensure hardworking Americans aren’t footing the bill for AI data centers. Congressman Patronis said, “If Big Tech wants to build a massive data center and use massive amounts of electricity, they should pay for the power and infrastructure they need, not hardworking families and small businesses. I don’t want families in Northwest Florida footing the bill for someone else’s investment opportunity.” The Ratepayer Protection Act would: Give states the tools to protect ratepayers. Create a federal standard for large-load customers, like data centers, to pay for the power and grid upgrades they need. Create a framework to protect families from the bill if a data center leaves. The Ratepayer Protection Act passed the House by a vote of 417-3 and now moves to the Senate for consideration. To view the Ratepayer Protection Act, click here. ### Issues : Congress Economy