Senator Ricketts’ Weekly Column: Democrats Blocked Lower Energy Bills
Over the last year, Nebraskans and the rest of the country have been thoughtfully engaging on what data centers are, why they are important, and the impact that they have on our communities. Data centers power search engines and social media platforms. We also need to beat Communist China in the AI race. A world where Communist China leads in AI is bad for America and the entire world. We value freedom and democracy — Communist China doesn’t.
At the same time, data centers shouldn’t get a free pass. If companies want to bring data centers to our communities, they need to abide by the good neighbor policy. Local communities should set the terms before a data center gets built. They should require these companies to consider how they can be helpful to the community. This includes potentially offsetting property taxes and funding local projects.
Hard-working families are right to wonder who will be responsible for paying for data centers’ energy needs. The answer is simple – not hard-working families. Nebraskans should not be responsible for footing the bill for data centers. The companies building these centers should be responsible. That’s why I am supporting the Ratepayer Protection Act.
The Ratepayer Protection Act would require data centers to pay the full utility cost needed to serve them. This would prevent rate hikes for ratepayers in communities where data centers are developing. If communities need infrastructure upgrades, these companies would be required to foot the bill. That cost should not be spread across everyone’s electricity bills. If a data center decides to relocate, then the community shouldn’t be stuck paying for extra electricity they never needed. The Ratepayer Protection Act makes sure that data centers pay their bills.
The bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act passed the House with a vote of 417-3. That’s nearly unanimous in the House of Representatives. But Senate Democrats are preventing it from becoming law. We should pass it. It’s a commonsense solution.
In Nebraska, we’re committed to maintaining our low cost of energy. Both the Omaha Public Power District and Nebraska Public Power District signed the White House’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge. That was a voluntary commitment to keep ratepayers’ electricity bills from increasing due to data centers. The Southern Public Power District has built four data centers and hasn’t raised rates in thirteen years. Our bill goes further. I’ll keep fighting to deliver on Nebraska’s commitment to low energy costs.
Nebraskans should have a choice in allowing data centers. And they should negotiate. Communities could seek lower property taxes or bonuses for local teachers when negotiating with billion-dollar companies. And there’s no reason Nebraskans should be forced to pay these companies’ energy bills. The Ratepayer Protection Act addresses these problems. It would keep Nebraska’s cost of energy low. It’s time for Senate Democrats to stop blocking it.
My team and I are here to serve you. Contact us anytime by phone at 202-224-4224. You can also view my website at https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/contact.