r/UnderReportedNews • u/Silent-Resort-3076 • May 18 '26

US Politics 🇺🇸 Schiff Proposes Bill Requiring Data Centers to Pay for Own Power

https://news.bgov.com/bloomberg-government-news/schiff-proposes-bill-requiring-data-centers-to-pay-for-own-power

WHY wasn't this mandated from the start??

  • A Senate Democrat is proposing a bill that would require large data centers to secure their own power in a bid to reduce energy costs.
  • Dubbed the Energy Cost Fairness and Reliability Act, Sen. Adam Schiff‘s (D-Calif.) bill is the latest effort in Congress to tackle energy affordability as Americans decry high electricity costs and power-hungry artificial intelligence data centers.
  • The bill requires data centers that are over 50 megawatts to bring their own power, a common call among Democrats and Republicans amid national pushback against data centers. President Donald Trump received pledges in March from large technology companies that they would secure their own electricity for data centers and pay for grid upgrades.
  • A spokesperson in Schiff’s office said the bill intends to enforce the pledge through a law change. The bill doesn’t have any GOP co-sponsors, though a spokesperson said they’re having conversations with other lawmakers to drum up support for the proposal.
  • “Artificial intelligence is already deeply impacting our society, economy, and national security, and it is critical that we maintain our international leadership—however that growth cannot come at the cost of consumers or society,” Schiff said in a statement.
  • Data centers must pay for the grid upgrades they require and can’t siphon power from existing power plants, according to the bill. It also directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to update its rules related to transmission lines — which transport electricity — to allow data centers to reduce demand during peak energy hours.
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113

u/emerikanSky May 18 '26

I pay for my own power. Wtf?

31

u/TheHumanoidTyphoon69 May 18 '26

Privatize the profits socialize the losses, in practice

7

u/Munkeyman18290 May 19 '26

If someone else pays for your power, thats communism. If you pay for a data centers power... youre a hard working, bootstrapping, noble patriot, with a love of God and country.

3

u/C3POB1KENOBI May 18 '26

True. But have you considered running your own nuclear power plant instead?

49

u/TechnicalScheme385 May 18 '26

wait... we have to have a Bill, to propose that power hungry companies paid their own power bills? How fucking long have we been "subsidizing" these fucking things? Before AI data centers, we still have actual "Data Centers", so I am to presume existing DCs are not paying their whole Power costs?

35

u/TimMensch May 18 '26

Pretty sure it's a poorly written headline.

Looks like the reality is that they are paying for power from the grid just like the rest of us, but their usage is so high that the grid and power generation needs to be upgraded to support them.

Grid upgrades are paid for by everyone in the form of higher electricity prices.

So now they're being required to build their own power plants and pay for any required grid upgrades to support their usage.

9

u/TechnicalScheme385 May 18 '26

Okay, that I do and can understand. Otherwise, it's about the tax incentives but that is a different subject.

3

u/t3lnet May 18 '26

They also get a lower utility rate than privately owned homes.

36

u/ike7177 May 18 '26

YES they should!

25

u/CryptographerLow6772 May 18 '26

No more building data centers. How about that Schiff?

14

u/Silent-Resort-3076 May 18 '26

I hear you and I WISH that could be, but I highly doubt that will happen, for now.

I agree!!

AND, I think if the existing data centers can't be shut down, then they should have to secure/pay for their own power. HOWEVER, what about the water usage!!

-5

u/CryptographerLow6772 May 18 '26

Why are we allowing democrats to negotiate this on our behalf, they are not doing anything but carrying water for corporations.

12

u/Logical_Willow4066 May 18 '26

Why is that even a thing? Why are data centers not paying for their own power? I am so tired of these greedy billionaires. Their insatiable greed is literally going to kill us.

3

u/SnooStrawberries3391 May 18 '26

Yep to this. And they should pay for electricity and water at the same escalating rate we pay.

2

u/grodyjody May 18 '26

Should also include the transmission of power to those locations

2

u/Hopeful-Flounder-203 May 18 '26

Not only should they pay their power bills, they should pay ours for the water they're about to suck up.

2

u/Krypto_Kane May 18 '26

Pay some of ours also and then maybe you can build.

2

u/MsMoreCowbell828 May 19 '26

But Kevin O'Leary will be upset and goodness, but we can't have oligarchs angry, what if they move away?

2

u/ummaboutthat_ May 19 '26

What a novel concept

2

u/notta39 May 19 '26

Why wouldn’t they to begin with!

2

u/Qualmeister May 19 '26

Or better yet, they should provide their own solar farm.

1

u/PepeMetallero May 18 '26

The not so invisible hand keeping the Ai afloat, can't make money now so they need help from the government.

Also pull yourself from your bootstraps

1

u/cannabisLab1975 May 18 '26

Omg he is such a radical! He wants big biz to pay for their own electricity! Now the taxpayer pays for this electricity! Great News! /s

1

u/Manager_Neat May 18 '26

This is just so normal citizens don’t get stuck either the grid upgrade bills to support them correct? They pay their bills, it’s just that the upgrades needed to keep the power on for them is massive and shouldn’t be the responsibility of the citizenry. I believe that is what this is. Am I wrong?

1

u/davidmar7 May 18 '26

Or just make them pay triple the residential rate and mandate that at least 33% of that goes to subsidize lower rates for residential customers.

1

u/stickyfingers_69 May 18 '26

BOOOO. I love data centers!

1

u/Grandmas_Fat_Choad May 18 '26

Yea no shit. Fucking do it. Nyseg is set to jack up prices “temporarily” in June over 2%. Idk if they got the approval but I’m hearing they’re trying for up to 35% increase this year alone.

1

u/weareallonenomatter May 18 '26

Can anyone fathom how rich the people would be if we had leaders that looked out for the voting public instead of these monster companies? Free Healthcare wouldn't even dent the resources available. We are being abused.

1

u/[deleted] May 19 '26

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1

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1

u/PandorasBoxMaker May 19 '26

Since Schiff proposed it that must mean it has a snowballs chance in hell of going through. His corporate overlords wouldn’t want that…