WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Ct.) introduced the Guaranteeing Rate Insulation from Data Centers (GRID) Act to stop data centers from driving up energy costs. Over the last several years, data center construction has taken off, creating enormous strains on our energy infrastructure. And this AI-fueled boom shows no signs of slowing down—in fact, data centers’ demand for power is expected to double over the next four years. Senator Hawley’s new bill would require data centers to have their own power sources, ensuring that the costs of their business are not passed on to American consumers.
President Trump has rightly stated that he “never want[s] Americans to pay higher Electricity bills because of Data Centers.” Senator Hawley’s bill would ensure that is the case.
“American families should not have to shoulder the burden of the rising electricity costs produced by data centers in Missouri and across the country. This is unacceptable,” Senator Hawley said. “I am introducing legislation that will protect American citizens by requiring data centers to use energy from sources that are separate from the U.S. grid and publicly report their electricity usage.”
“Our GRID Act stops Big Tech’s AI-driven drain on family’s pocketbooks,” said Blumenthal. “The rapid buildout of power-hungry data centers is straining our electrical grid—driving up demand and causing Americans’ energy bills to skyrocket. Our bipartisan bill ensures consumers have priority on the grid and do not have to pay a penny more because of burdensome data centers. Families should not be forced to bankroll Big Tech’s electricity and infrastructure costs.”
The GRID Act would:
- Guarantee no increase in consumer utility prices due to data centers.
- Guarantee consumers first priority on the grid.
- Ensure new data centers use energy from power generation sources that are separate from the grid, with a 10-year off-ramp for existing data centers to find an alternative power source.
- Establish new transparency measures so that data center operators publicly disclose their current and future utility usage and other related information.
Read the full bill text here.