- The Ratepayer Protection Act is criticized for being largely voluntary and ineffective in protecting consumers from rising electricity costs due to datacenters.
- Datacenter expansion has caused electricity prices to spike by up to 267% in some regions, with significant increases in wholesale prices and other hidden costs.
- The bill prioritizes datacenter and utility needs, offering benefits like faster construction and grid connections, while ignoring broader public costs like water use and pollution.
- Consumer advocates argue the bill fails to address cumulative environmental impacts, such as water resource depletion and PFAS pollution from cooling systems.