Senators want US energy information agency to monitor data center electricity usage

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Josh Hawley are calling on the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) to enhance its monitoring of electricity consumption in data centers. In a letter addressed to the agency, the bipartisan duo emphasized the need for the EIA to publicly report comprehensive annual energy usage data from these facilities. The senators argue that such disclosures are crucial for effective grid planning and will aid in developing policies to prevent large corporations from exacerbating electricity costs for American households. As the proliferation of data centers continues across the nation, concerns regarding their substantial energy demands have grown among voters, influencing midterm elections in states heavily populated with data centers, like Virginia and Georgia. Last month, Hawley teamed up with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal to introduce legislation mandating data centers to establish their own power sources, aiming to shield consumers from potential hikes in energy costs. Earlier this month, former President Donald Trump gathered technology executives at the White House to sign a nonbinding agreement, encouraging them to cover their own energy expenses for data centers. Ari Peskoe, a director at Harvard Law School’s Environmental and Energy Law Program, noted, "If we’re concerned about ratepayers facing increased energy costs due to data centers, understanding their energy consumption is essential to that assessment. While it’s not the sole factor, it certainly contributes to the overall picture." Despite alarming projections about the energy demands of data centers in the coming years, obtaining official figures on their current and anticipated electricity usage remains a challenge. Currently, no federal agency tracks energy consumption specifically from data centers. Often, information regarding their electricity or water usage is considered proprietary and is only shared voluntarily by the companies involved. Moreover, an increasing number of data centers are opting to install independent power sources, further complicating efforts to gauge their total energy needs.