H.R. 10005: Data Center Resource Disclosure Act

This bill would direct the Commerce Department’s Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information to gather and publish information about how much energy and water data centers in the United States use.

What the survey would do

Within 180 days after the bill becomes law, and then every year after that, the Assistant Secretary would run a survey asking operators of U.S. data centers to voluntarily report:

• how much energy the data center used during the previous 12 months; and
• how much water the data center used during the previous 12 months.

The survey would also allow outside groups and individuals to submit comments, including public utility boards, labor organizations, state regulators, and consumer-focused public interest groups.

What would be made public

Within 180 days after each survey is completed, the results would have to be published on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s main website. The published results would include:

• an interactive map of the United States showing the results;
• a list of any data centers that did not provide complete information;
• a summary of the comments that were submitted; and
• a report to Congress with recommendations on how to improve data center regulation, including transparency.

Agency coordination

The Assistant Secretary would be required to work with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and any other federal agency the Assistant Secretary thinks is appropriate.

What the bill does not do

The bill does not set direct limits on data center energy or water use. It also does not require data centers to provide information, since the survey is voluntary. Instead, it focuses on collecting, organizing, and publicly sharing data about resource consumption.

Relevant Companies

None found