RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas (RFD News) — South Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar says he is working to address concerns surrounding data centers and plans to push legislation when Congress returns to session.
Cuellar is backing the Ratepayer Bill of Rights of 2026, which he says would protect consumers, farmers and ranchers from costs associated with data center projects.
“The rule under my proposed legislation is very simple. Tell the public what the project will use, protect our water and electricity service, and make the project pay its own cost.”
Cuellar said concerns from the agricultural community are one reason he is pushing the legislation, particularly as producers worry about water supplies.
“Absolutely, look, they’re worried about their water. It’s not only the water that comes from underground, but you and I were talking about the Rio Grande and about what’s affecting the Rio Grande. So as we’re looking for secondary sources of water, we gotta make sure that we protect that.”
Other members of Congress have also raised concerns about data centers.
Republican North Dakota Rep. Julie Fedorchak has said Americans should not face higher utility bills because of infrastructure needed for large electricity users like data centers, while Democratic Virginia Rep. Suhas Subramanyam has spoken out against utility companies and data center overreach.
