House Republicans Drop MASSIVE Energy Bill — Data Center Giants Could Get SLAMMED

Liberty Check

• House GOP unveils sweeping 96-page energy bill aimed at slashing red tape and lowering costs for American families
• Data centers forced to pay for their own grid upgrades — no more forcing ratepayers to subsidize Big Tech’s AI boom
• Legislation gives priority to reliable power over intermittent wind and solar in energy queue

House Republicans are taking the fight to burdensome federal regulations with a comprehensive energy package designed to cut costs, strengthen the grid, and put American families first. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., is introducing the 96-page “Permitting Our Way to an Energy Resurgence (POWER) Act” on Wednesday as a discussion draft while the committee gathers additional input from lawmakers and industry leaders.

The measure combines nearly 20 Republican proposals that would streamline approvals for pipelines, transmission lines, power plants and manufacturing projects. It directly addresses the rapidly growing electricity demand tied to artificial intelligence data centers — a sector that has threatened to push costs onto everyday Americans.

The legislation goes beyond permitting reform. It shields ratepayers from price hikes by requiring data centers to bear the full costs of grid upgrades — a direct implementation of President Trump’s ratepayer protection pledge.

In a major shift, the bill would give dispatchable power plants priority over intermittent sources such as wind and solar in interconnection queues. It would expand federal regulators’ authority to keep power plants online and overhaul portions of the Clean Air Act that have long stifled American energy independence.

“To win the race to AI dominance, onshore jobs, and deliver reliable and affordable power for families, America needs a permitting system that works for their communities,” Guthrie said.

“The POWER Act cuts the red tape holding back American energy, protects hard-working families from higher electricity costs, and keeps the lights on for generations to come.”

Guthrie emphasized that the energy package is the result of months of collaboration among GOP members across the committee.

“For too long, burdensome regulations that fail to meet the moment have held back American innovation and growth,” he said. “I’m proud to introduce commonsense legislation that will make energy more affordable for every American.”

The legislation’s introduction comes as bipartisan negotiations over permitting reform have long proven elusive, despite widespread acknowledgment of the need for reforms to the federal government’s complex permitting process. It remains unclear whether House GOP leaders will bring Guthrie’s package to the floor before the midterm elections, with less than two dozen legislative days remaining on the calendar heading into November.

Among the package’s most consequential provisions is legislation from Rep. Troy Balderson, R-Ohio, that would check the federal government’s ability to issue far-reaching environmental regulations. His measure requires federal agencies to submit major actions affecting electricity generation to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for review to ensure they do not negatively impact grid reliability.

Republicans say Balderson’s Reliable Power Act is intended to ensure burdensome regulations from agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency do not jeopardize the nation’s power supply.

Another marquee proposal, authored by Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., would require large commercial electricity users, including data centers, to front the full cost of infrastructure upgrades. The provision effectively codifies Trump’s ratepayer protection pledge, under which large companies committed not to pass data center development costs on to everyday consumers through utility rate hikes.

“America must build the energy infrastructure necessary to win the global AI race and outcompete adversaries like Communist China — but hardworking families should never be forced to subsidize that growth through higher electric bills,” Evans said Wednesday after the measure advanced out of committee with bipartisan support as a standalone bill.

The package also includes several other long-standing GOP energy priorities, including Evans’ FIRE Act, which would shield states from Clean Air Act penalties tied to wildfire prevention efforts such as prescribed burns and brush clearing. That provision has taken on renewed urgency after Canadian wildfire smoke blanketed a swath of the United States over the weekend, with some GOP lawmakers slamming the country’s forest management.

It’s time to push back.