This bill, the Public Oversight of Water and Energy Reporting Act (POWER Act), directs the Secretary of Energy, working with the Environmental Protection Agency, to report to Congress about how certain data centers use electricity and water. The reports must cover water taken from public water systems (including amounts reused or average daily use), how many centers generate all their own electricity, how many are electric consumers, and costs and payers for connecting a center to the bulk-power system. The bill applies to ‘‘covered data centers,’’ defined as qualifying projects under Executive Order 14318, but excluding projects run by specified federal agencies. The first report is due no later than two years after the law is enacted, and then annually.
The bill requires reporting but does not specify funding or set program costs. No publicly available information on estimated federal costs or funding sources is provided in the bill text.
According to the bills findings, supporters say data center construction and operation should not harm water supplies or valuable farm and ranchland, and that the federal government should avoid subsidizing data centers that would not otherwise be viable. The reporting requirement is presented as a way to provide oversight and information to Congress.
No publicly available information on opposition or critiques is provided in the bill text or metadata.