U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) on Thursday blocked bipartisan legislation, the Ratepayer Protection Act, aimed at preventing utility cost increases related to AI data centers. Heinrich, the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, called the bill a "half-measure," arguing it relies only on voluntary commitments from states and developers rather than mandating data centers with demand of 100 megawatts or more to cover new power infrastructure costs. The House had overwhelmingly passed the bill with a 417-3 vote.