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U.S. Representative Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) has introduced a National Data Center Plan comprising four bills intended to guide data center development while protecting surrounding communities.
The legislative package includes the Responsible Data Center Siting Act, the Data Center Fair Share Act, the Data Infrastructure Energy Measurement and Standards Act, and the Data Infrastructure Risk Reduction Act.
According to a statement from Subramanyam’s office, the package would require data centers to pay for their “own energy, evaluate the cumulative impacts on communities, the environment, and our national security” before construction, accurately measure water and energy consumption, and protect Americans living near data infrastructure.
“Our region is home to the fourth-largest concentration of data centers in the world, and many more are on the way. Because of this, our utility bills are up, and transmission lines are cutting through our schools and backyards. People are concerned about the future of our community and angry about the impact this will have on noise, the environment, and their property. The approach to building data centers has been driven by short-term profit rather than long-term planning,” Subramanyam said in the statement.
He added that the current approach could be changed through comprehensive national planning.
“We need a national plan that puts communities first rather than the current ad hoc approach. That’s why I am pushing this legislation forward: to give Virginians and the American people a voice,” he said.
“Since its founding in 2014, the Coalition to Protect Prince William County has been warning residents, elected leaders, and the SCC of the unprecedented power demands of the data center industry. Prince William County residents are already paying a high cost, with our rising utility rates and energy infrastructure expansion threatening our homes, our schools, our parks, and our private property. Congressman Subramanyam’s National Data Center Plan is a needed step in the right direction to protect residents, our environment, and our grid from irresponsible development. Without action, the risk to our grid is no longer a question of if we will suffer a catastrophic failure, but when,” said Elena Schlossberg, executive director of the Coalition to Protect Prince William County.
The Responsible Data Center Siting Act would direct the secretary of energy to establish best practices for selecting data center locations. The guidelines would consider energy availability, effects on utility bills, water and electricity consumption, and environmental consequences.
The measure would also assess community impacts, including noise, workforce needs and tax revenue, as well as national security considerations. Its stated purpose is to guide data center development while protecting residents.
The bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL), André Carson (D-IN), Hillary Scholten (D-MI), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Greg Stanton (D-AZ) and Mike Levin (D-CA).
The Data Center Fair Share Act would require data centers and other large energy users to pay the full cost of the power generation and grid upgrades needed to serve them.
The legislation responds to concerns that Northern Virginia residents are facing higher utility bills to support the substantial energy demands of hundreds of data centers. It would require states to adopt large-load tariffs designed to ensure that data centers, rather than residents, pay for the electricity infrastructure they require. States that do not adopt the tariffs would lose access to federal highway funds.
“This bill is a welcome and necessary step to create meaningful protections for consumers,” said Karim D. Marshall, director of climate and energy policy at the Consumer Federation of America. “Families are suffering under astronomical energy prices, and they need a backstop against the costs passed on to regular people, something that is more than an empty promise. The tech billionaires say that they will responsibly share our power and water. They say that they will be responsible without data and information. They say, ‘Trust us, we know better.’ The moment demands that consumers be protected from the abuses of the rich and powerful. Consumers shouldn’t be forced to subsidize Big Tech through their power bills. The Data Center Fair Share Act creates real consequences for jurisdictions that are willing to sell out their people to please Big Tech.”
The Data Infrastructure Energy Measurement and Standards Act would direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop technical standards for measuring data centers’ energy and water consumption. The standards are intended to provide more accurate information about the amount of water and energy used by the facilities.
The Data Infrastructure Risk Reduction Act would require the development of a strategy to protect communities near data centers and related infrastructure from adversarial threats.
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