HR 6984
Data Center Transparency Act
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Bill overview
This bill, the Data Center Transparency Act, aims to increase public awareness of the environmental impacts of data centers in the United States. It requires the Environmental Protection Agency to report on water consumption, pollutant discharge, greenhouse gas emissions, and impacts on local water systems and overburdened communities. The Energy Information Administration will collect and report data on overall energy consumption by data centers, including changes over time and impacts on household energy bills.
Key provisions
- The EPA will submit reports on water consumption, reuse, and pollutant discharge by data centers.
- The EPA will report on greenhouse gas emissions and their impact, particularly on overburdened communities.
- The EIA will collect data on total energy consumption by data centers nationwide.
- Reports will be published on a public website.
- Data collection frequency is outlined for both EPA and EIA reports.
- Reports will disaggregate data by state.
- The bill defines ‘data center’ for reporting purposes.
- Reports will analyze changes in energy consumption over time.
Who is affected
- Data center operators
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Energy Information Administration
- Congress
- State residents
Notable changes
- Requires comprehensive reporting on data center environmental impacts.
- Mandates data collection and public dissemination of information.
Sponsors
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Primary sponsor
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119th CONGRESS — 2d Session
H. R. 6984
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To require reports on the effects of data centers on air quality and water quality, and on electricity consumption by data centers.
This Act may be cited as the Data Center Transparency Act
.
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this section, and not less frequently than once every 3 months thereafter, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall submit to Congress, and make publicly available on a website, a report that identifies, with respect to the period of 3 months preceding the submission and publication of the report—
the total amount of water consumed by data centers located in the United States;
how such data centers reuse water, and the amount of such reused water;
how such data centers affect local water systems, including with respect to—
the availability of potable water;
whether the data center increased demand on local water utilities;
any potential data on service disruptions for other customers of local water utilities;
any changes in residential rates for water services; and
the type and amount of pollutants (as such term is defined in section 502(6) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1362(6))) discharged into water by data centers;
the effect of such greenhouse gas emissions, including the cumulative effect on overburdened communities.
how such energy consumption may have changed during such period of 6 months;
the number of data centers that began operating during such period of 6 months;
how household energy bills may have changed during such period of 6 months; and
the average household energy use and cost.
In this section, the term data center has the meaning given such term in section 453(a) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17112(a)).