WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders plan to bring legislation to the floor next week that would require technology companies to help pay for the power infrastructure needed to operate data centers, a rapidly growing source of electricity demand tied to artificial intelligence. Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced the planned vote Sept. 10, as vulnerable House Republicans pressed leadership to respond before the November midterm elections. Lawmakers returning from the summer recess said constituents had raised concerns about higher electricity bills and the local impacts of data-center construction. The measure, known as the Ratepayer Protection Act, passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously in July. Its supporters say the bill would prevent households and other electricity customers from absorbing the cost of new transmission, generation and related infrastructure built to serve large technology facilities. The House is expected to consider the bill under an expedited procedure requiring support from two-thirds of members present and voting. That approach would allow Republican leaders to avoid a separate procedural vote that could expose divisions within the party. The House is expected to leave Washington next week for a six-week recess before the midterms. The legislation has not been revised since its committee approval, according to a person familiar with internal deliberations who was granted anonymity to discuss them. Some Republicans have continued to argue that data-center siting and construction should be handled by states and local governments rather than regulated federally. “I’m a true believer in local control,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said Thursday at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas. The planned vote reflects a growing political fight over who should bear the costs of the country’s AI expansion. Data centers consume large amounts of electricity, and utilities in areas experiencing rapid construction may seek new power plants, transmission lines and grid upgrades. Without rules requiring developers to cover those expenses, critics warn that costs could be distributed among ordinary ratepayers. The issue has also moved into competitive House campaigns. In Pennsylvania, Democratic congressional candidate Bob Harvie is calling for a one-year moratorium on new data centers, or a halt until Congress establishes stronger protections for affected communities. Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, one of Harvie’s opponents, supports the Ratepayer Protection Act. The House vote would be an initial step. The legislation would still need Senate approval and the president’s signature before becoming law, and the schedule for Senate consideration was not immediately clear.