New Delhi, Oct. 1 -- A Senate effort to address concerns over the impact of data centers on electricity prices failed to move forward on Wednesday, as lawmakers became embroiled in an election-year dispute over how best to tackle the issue.

Republican senators had scheduled one of the chamber's final votes before leaving Washington to campaign on a bill they said would demonstrate action on the effect of rapidly expanding data centers on consumers' monthly power bills.

The measure required 60 votes to advance but received only 57, with 43 senators voting against it.

The legislation is relatively limited in scope. It would require utility regulators to consider adopting a federal standard under which large electricity customers would be...