Senate Democrats block Husted’s data center bill weeks before the midterms

Senate Democrats have stalled the Ratepayer Protection Act, a measure authored by Ohio Republican Jon Husted designed to protect residential utility customers from the power costs driven by the data center expansion. The legislation failed in a 57–43 vote, falling three short of the 60 votes required to pass. Just four Democrats supported the measure.

This defeat removes the senator’s final opportunity to demonstrate to constituents that he is addressing cost-of-living concerns ahead of the November midterm elections. Husted’s Senate contest is widely regarded as one of the most competitive races of the cycle. He is running against former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, who has connected Husted to the proliferation of Ohio’s 240 active data centers and the resulting increases in household utility bills, alleging that Husted shares responsibility.

The Ratepayer Protection Act seeks to modify current energy regulations to require state utility regulators to consider a federal standard. Specifically, nonresidential customers using 100 megawatts or more at a single location—such as large artificial intelligence data centers—would be required to cover the full incremental expenses for the generation and transmission upgrades necessitated by their energy consumption. Under the legislation, these costs would not be distributed among everyday ratepayers. Additionally, corporations would be mandated to provide financial guarantees if a project is abandoned or relocated.

In mid-September, the House approved the bill in a 417–3 vote, drawing support from every present Republican and nearly all Democrats, with opposition coming from only three progressive Democrats. However, the legislative path shifted significantly upon reaching the Senate, in what observers view as a politically driven outcome, according to Husted.