# Artificial Intelligence Environmental Impacts Act of 2026
This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to study the environmental effects of artificial intelligence data centers and related energy infrastructure, with results due to Congress within one year of passage. The study will examine energy and water consumption, air and water quality impacts, greenhouse gas emissions, electronic waste, and effects on local communities from the full lifecycle of AI operations, including hardware manufacturing and data center construction. The bill also directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish a consortium of tribal representatives, local officials, academics, and industry members to develop consistent standards and methodologies for measuring and reporting AI's environmental impacts. Additionally, the legislation requires AI data center operators to annually report their environmental impacts to the EPA, with details on energy use, water consumption, pollution, and electronic waste, and makes this information publicly available on an EPA website. The bill aims to address concerns that rapidly growing AI computing demands are significantly increasing electricity consumption, water use, and electronic waste while creating disparate impacts on low-income, Black and Brown, Indigenous, and rural communities.
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