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Read. Follow. Verify.Alabama regulates electric utility contracts for large load data centers
Last action · April 17, 2026: EnactedSponsor: Lance Bell
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What This Bill Does
Alabama enacted SB 270 to establish specific criteria for the Public Service Commission to review and approve retail electric service contracts between utilities and s starting October 1, 2026.
The law defines standards for how large data centers cover their electricity costs, impacting potential power rate structures for residential and commercial electric utility customers across Alabama.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
large load data center customers
Their retail electric service contracts must explicitly provide for the recovery of all incremental service costs and meet specific public interest criteria set by the Public Service Commission.
retail electric customers
Utility contracts with large data centers must be evaluated to ensure they promote positive benefits, such as potentially lowering costs or increasing power system efficiency for other customers.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifies as a large load data center customer under this law?
What costs must a large load data center cover?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Became law.
Procedural history
20 actions- Apr 17, 2026SenateEnrolledEnacted
- Apr 9, 2026HouseSignature Requested
- Apr 9, 2026SenateEnrolledDelivered to Governor
- Apr 9, 2026SenateEnrolled
- Apr 8, 2026SenateReady to Enroll
- Apr 8, 2026SenateGudger Motion to Concur In and Adopt House Amendment - Adopted Roll Call 1258
Show 14 earlier actions
- Apr 8, 2026HouseFloorMotion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1323
- Apr 8, 2026HouseMotion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1322
- Apr 8, 2026HouseRafferty 1st Amendment Offered
- Apr 8, 2026HouseThird Reading in Second House
- Mar 17, 2026HouseRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Mar 17, 2026HouseCommitteeReported Out of Committee Second House
- Mar 12, 2026HouseCommitteePending Committee Action in Second House
- Mar 12, 2026HouseIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure
- Mar 12, 2026SenateFloorMotion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 853
- Mar 12, 2026SenateThird Reading in House of Origin
- Feb 12, 2026SenateRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Feb 11, 2026SenateCommitteeReported Out of Committee House of Origin
- Feb 5, 2026SenateCommitteePending Committee Action in House of Origin
- Feb 5, 2026SenateIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Voting Record
Gudger Motion to Concur In and Adopt House Amendment - Adopted Roll Call 1258
Total
35
- Yes
- 33
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 2
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (1)
Show 1 earlier roll call
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1323
Total
105
- Yes
- 100
- No
- 1
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 1
- Abstain
- 3
How they voted (1)
Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
alison.legislature.state.al.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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