Georgia Power, a national data center association, and clean energy groups are divided over the need for legislation that would prevent state-regulated utilities from raising electricity rates to cover the costs of energy-guzzling data centers.
Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, a Rome Republican, said he filed Senate Bill 34 in order to protect residential and commercial ratepayers from getting hit with higher utility bills because of large-scale utility company investments to meet the energy demands of artificial intelligence.
The Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities held a hearing last week on a measure that prohibits the Georgia Public Service Commission from changing any utility rates because of costs incurred providing electric services to commercial data centers.
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