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Idaho Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen is introducing House Bill 756 to protect residents from rising utility bills resulting from large data centers. The bill mandates that any new power customer requiring 20 megawatts or more must finance their own infrastructure, preventing costs from being shifted to other utility users.

Mickelsen's initiative is aimed at safeguarding fixed-income residents and young families from affordability issues. In Idaho, the Public Utilities Commission currently regulates rates, but Mickelsen seeks to enhance its authority. Data centers, including Meta’s facility in Kuna, typically require hundreds of megawatts, significantly impacting local energy demand and infrastructure.