The electricity bill, not the whip count
H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, passed 417 to 3 with 12 not voting. Republican members voted 210 to 0. Democratic members voted 206 to 3.[1]
The same 417-3 result amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act so states consider ratepayer standards that put grid-upgrade costs on data centers and other large-load customers. The bill would not require states to adopt any final regulations.[2]
A 100 megawatt campus versus the ratepayer
Deseret News writes that the requirements would specifically target data centers that use at least 100 megawatts of electricity at one site or campus, and that those rates would keep the extra price on that customer even if it later cancelled the contract, with payment due before construction starts.[3]
The other energy consumers named for ratepayer protection would otherwise see electricity rates rise with grid-upgrade investment. The 417 to 3 vote does not by itself reallocate that price. States still decide whether to adopt the standard.[2], [3]
The next countable step
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said a Senate path could require unanimous consent. The 417-3 tally, on the Roll Call reading, is a direction to consider the standard rather than a completed shift of the upgrade invoice.[2]