en.Wedoany.com Reported - The New Jersey State Assembly has passed a bill (S731) requiring the state Board of Public Utilities to establish dedicated electricity rates for data centers with a capacity of 50MW or more, in order to protect other users from cost increases brought about by new development projects. This bill replaces an earlier version proposed in 2024, which was conditionally vetoed by former Governor Phil Murphy. The revised bill has now been submitted to Governor Mikie Sherrill for final approval, and supporters expect it to be signed into law.

The revised bill expands its scope to cover both new and existing facilities, lowers the threshold to 50MW, and aggregates related sites under the same ownership. It adds stricter requirements, including long-term financial commitments, participation in demand response, and priority grid access for projects using clean energy or energy storage. During grid emergencies, large data centers will be subject to load curtailment before residential users.

Regulators in Oregon have recently approved new rate categories for data centers and other large electricity users, which have already taken effect. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has signed legislation aimed at protecting users from data center-related infrastructure and utility costs. Florida has also passed similar laws, prohibiting utility companies from passing such costs onto residential and small business users, and requiring large users to bear the full cost of their service. Additionally, Ohio, North Carolina, and Virginia have proposed or passed similar measures.