The POWER Act directs the Secretary of Energy to submit reports to Congress on how much electricity and water large data centers use, starting within two years of the law's enactment and then annually thereafter. The reports, prepared with the Environmental Protection Agency, must cover data centers receiving federal permitting assistance and include information on water consumption from public water systems, whether data centers generate their own power, their connection costs to the electrical grid, and who pays for those connections. The legislation applies to private data centers but excludes those owned or operated by federal agencies. Congress expressed concern that data center development should not harm the nation's water resources, farmland, or ranches, and the government should not subsidize data centers that would not be economically viable without federal support. The bill does not provide specific funding amounts or establish penalties, focusing instead on creating transparency through mandatory reporting requirements.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.