HR6984-119

What This Bill Does

The Data Center Transparency Act creates recurring federal reporting on the local environmental and utility effects of data centers. Within six months and quarterly after that, EPA must report publicly to Congress on data-center water consumption, water reuse, potable-water availability, demand on local water utilities, service disruptions for other customers, residential water-rate changes, water pollutants discharged by data centers, greenhouse gas emissions, and cumulative effects on overburdened communities. Separately, the Energy Information Administration must collect six-month energy-use data from every U.S. data center and publish semiannual reports showing energy consumption by State, changes in consumption, new data centers that began operating, household energy-bill changes, and average household energy use and cost.

Who Benefits and How

Residents near large data centers benefit because EPA reports would identify water use, pollution, utility disruptions, residential rate effects, and cumulative greenhouse-gas effects that otherwise can be hard to see. Household utility customers benefit from EIA reporting that connects data-center growth to electricity consumption and bill changes. Congress, State energy offices, local water utilities, environmental justice communities, and journalists benefit from public data for oversight and rate, siting, permitting, and infrastructure debates.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Data center operators must provide or be subject to federal collection of water, energy, emissions, and operating data. EPA water and air-quality staff must compile quarterly reports, assess effects on overburdened communities, and publish the findings. EIA data staff must collect facility-level energy consumption every six months, report by State, and connect the data to new facilities and household energy costs. Local water utilities may face more scrutiny of service disruptions, potable-water availability, and residential rate impacts.

Key Provisions

• Requires EPA quarterly public reports on data-center water use, water reuse, utility demand, service disruptions, residential rates, pollutant discharges, and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Requires EPA to assess cumulative greenhouse-gas effects on overburdened communities.
• Requires EIA to collect six-month energy-consumption data from each U.S. data center.
• Requires EIA semiannual reports on State-level energy use, consumption changes, new data centers, household bills, and average household use and cost.