South Dakota lawmakers are advancing a proposal that would require large data centers to pay the full cost of Public Utilities Commission contract reviews. House Bill 1038 shifts those expenses from ratepayers to data centers with peak demand of 10 megawatts or more.
The bill passed the House 60–5 and cleared the Senate Commerce and Energy Committee 7–2, sending it to the full Senate. Supporters, including PUC Chairman Chris Nelson, say major data centers should cover the cost of evaluating large‑scale utility contracts to ensure fairness for existing customers. No one testified in opposition.
Comments