Senate: Make AI Data Centers Pay—Not Families
The Issue
Your electric bill should pay to power your home—not subsidize the AI boom.
As massive data centers expand, they can require costly new power infrastructure. Without strong protections, the costs of serving those facilities risk being shifted onto households through their electricity bills.
COMPANIES building data centers should pay for the additional infrastructure they need. FAMILIES should not be forced to pick up the tab. Unemployment has increased to 4.2%, and wage growth is the lowest it’s been since May 2021. Inflation has risen to 3.4%, and more Americans are struggling to pay their bills (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/credit-card-delinquencies-savings-rate-us-economy/).
On September 16, 2026, the House passed the Ratepayer Protection Act with OVERWHELMING bipartisan support: 417–3. But on September 30th, a Senate vote to advance the bill fell short of the required 60 votes.
That setback can't be the end of the fight.
I feel really passionately about this and partnered with Change.org to start this petition. What initially drew my attention to the matter is the Pew Research article, "Most new data centers in the U.S. are coming to rural areas." (https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/04/13/most-new-data-centers-in-the-us-are-coming-to-rural-areas/ Currently, the South and the Midwest lead in planned data centers. Most of my husband David Giuntoli's family is in the Midwest. And I have a lot of family in Texas, which along with Virginia, currently have the most operating data centers.
The bill would require state utility regulators to consider a standard making large data centers cover the full additional cost of power infrastructure upgrades needed to serve them—including protections against leaving other customers responsible if a data center walks away.
We're calling on the Senate to bring the Ratepayer Protection Act back to the floor and pass it. Passing the bill would be a starting point, not an automatic guarantee of lower bills. States would still decide whether to adopt those protections.
It really boils down to this: money families need for groceries, rent and keeping the lights on should not subsidize a corporation's expansion. At a time when many people are struggling to juggle their household budgets -- we need a bill to help protect them.
Sign this petition to tell the Senate: Pass the Ratepayer Protection Act. Protect our power bills. Make AI data centers pay their own way. #sponsored
PLEASE SHARE! MORE SIGNATURES EQUALS MORE PRESSURE ON DECISION MAKERS.
Paid partnership. Elizabeth Tulloch is a Change Ambassador who receives compensation in connection with this petition.
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The Issue
Your electric bill should pay to power your home—not subsidize the AI boom.
As massive data centers expand, they can require costly new power infrastructure. Without strong protections, the costs of serving those facilities risk being shifted onto households through their electricity bills.
COMPANIES building data centers should pay for the additional infrastructure they need. FAMILIES should not be forced to pick up the tab. Unemployment has increased to 4.2%, and wage growth is the lowest it’s been since May 2021. Inflation has risen to 3.4%, and more Americans are struggling to pay their bills (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/credit-card-delinquencies-savings-rate-us-economy/).
On September 16, 2026, the House passed the Ratepayer Protection Act with OVERWHELMING bipartisan support: 417–3. But on September 30th, a Senate vote to advance the bill fell short of the required 60 votes.
That setback can't be the end of the fight.
I feel really passionately about this and partnered with Change.org to start this petition. What initially drew my attention to the matter is the Pew Research article, "Most new data centers in the U.S. are coming to rural areas." (https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/04/13/most-new-data-centers-in-the-us-are-coming-to-rural-areas/ Currently, the South and the Midwest lead in planned data centers. Most of my husband David Giuntoli's family is in the Midwest. And I have a lot of family in Texas, which along with Virginia, currently have the most operating data centers.
The bill would require state utility regulators to consider a standard making large data centers cover the full additional cost of power infrastructure upgrades needed to serve them—including protections against leaving other customers responsible if a data center walks away.
We're calling on the Senate to bring the Ratepayer Protection Act back to the floor and pass it. Passing the bill would be a starting point, not an automatic guarantee of lower bills. States would still decide whether to adopt those protections.
It really boils down to this: money families need for groceries, rent and keeping the lights on should not subsidize a corporation's expansion. At a time when many people are struggling to juggle their household budgets -- we need a bill to help protect them.
Sign this petition to tell the Senate: Pass the Ratepayer Protection Act. Protect our power bills. Make AI data centers pay their own way. #sponsored
PLEASE SHARE! MORE SIGNATURES EQUALS MORE PRESSURE ON DECISION MAKERS.
Paid partnership. Elizabeth Tulloch is a Change Ambassador who receives compensation in connection with this petition.
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Petition created on October 4, 2026