Senate Democrats block data center bill aimed at addressing energy costs

Senate Democrats blocked a Republican-led legislative effort on Wednesday aimed at addressing energy costs associated with large data centers. The measure would have required state utility regulators to consider whether major electricity users should bear the incremental costs of power infrastructure.

Supporters of the bill argued it was designed to shield everyday Americans from rising energy expenses driven by the rapid growth of data centers. However, Senate Democrats voted to block the measure on the grounds that it did not go far enough to address the problem.