WASHINGTON D.C. — Rep. Lori Trahan is pushing for new federal action on artificial intelligence regulations, while also backing legislation aimed at preventing large data centers from shifting infrastructure and utility costs onto families.
Trahan and Rep. Don Beyer (D-Virginia) joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Sept. 16 to call on House leadership to take immediate action on the risks associated with rapidly advancing AI technology.
This comes after recent cyberattacks involving an OpenAI agent and warnings from leaders and researchers at major AI companies about potential societal and national security risks.
The lawmakers are calling on Congress to advance bipartisan legislation that would strengthen AI oversight, security and transparency. They pointed to dozens of bills that have already been reported by congressional committees, as well as other bipartisan proposals that could move through the legislative process.
“Congress must urgently advance legislation to mitigate the risk of more serious incidents, especially those that could threaten critical infrastructure, our financial system, and other institutions that every American depends on,” the lawmakers wrote.
Trahan has also been working with Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-California) on the bipartisan FRONTIER Act, introduced in July.
The legislation would establish federal safety requirements for some of the most powerful AI systems, including requirements for transparency, independent safety reviews and reporting dangerous incidents to the government.
Although Trahan argues the FRONTIER Act would create better AI safety standards by establishing federal uniform AI regulations rather than relying on voluntary company policies or a patchwork of state rules, the FRONTIER Act has also faced skepticism by critics who argue that allowing the federal government and President Donald Trump to enforce the standards will actually make AI less safe.
On Aug. 20, a group of students, activists and community members gathered outside Trahan’s Lowell office to protest the bill, with organizers delivering more than 4,000 petition signatures opposing what they described as the bill’s preemption of state AI regulations. The protesters argued that Massachusetts and other states should retain the ability to establish their own AI safety rules.
Meanwhile, Trahan also voted Sept. 16 to pass the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act, legislation focused on how large-load customers such as data centers pay for the infrastructure and utility costs they require.
The bill would require companies to cover the full cost of additional grid upgrades over time and provide financial guarantees in case a data center reduces its operations or shuts down.
Trahan said the goal is to keep those costs from being passed along to residents through higher electric bills.
“Families are being squeezed by rising costs across the board,” Trahan said. “The last thing they need is a data center driving up their utility bills and making it even harder to make ends meet.”
Large-scale data centers that use at least 100 megawatts of power can require extensive cooling systems to keep servers from overheating. According to Trahan’s office, those systems can account for as much as 40% of a facility’s total electricity use.
The Ratepayer Protection Act now moves to the Senate for consideration.
For Trahan, the two issues are part of a broader push for federal rules as AI technology and the infrastructure supporting it continue to expand.
The AI legislation and data center measure could be of particular interest in Massachusetts as communities and state officials continue to debate the impacts of large-scale technology facilities, including their effect on electricity demand and infrastructure costs.
