Richard Blumenthal
Role at the time: U.S. Senator from Connecticut, in a statement released by Sen. Elizabeth Warren's office
Statement summary
Sen. Richard Blumenthal said the companies' responses did nothing to assure families that data centers would stop raising their utility bills, and that the companies should pay their fair share.
“We’ll keep up the pressure on Big Tech and work to hold companies accountable for the excessive electricity costs that they’re imposing on consumers. It’s time for Big Tech to put their money where their mouth is and pay their fair share”
Warren distinguishes payment for consumed electricity from full payment for upgrades caused by data centers. This criticism precedes Google's June Virginia testimony.
Why we used this label
The case asks whether Google should pay the full cost of the shared grid upgrades its data centers trigger, rather than leaving part of that cost with other customers. Responding to the companies' replies, including Google's, Blumenthal says the senators will hold the companies accountable for "the excessive electricity costs that they're imposing on consumers" and that it is time for them to "pay their fair share". That argues the companies leave costs with other customers, so we labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization, since he disputes the companies' assurances; it loses because he presses the companies to pay more rather than to describe their commitments differently.