EIA plans mandatory energy disclosures for U.S. data centers

The Energy Information Agency (EIA), the U.S. government agency responsible for energy data, plans to require data centers to disclose details about their energy use, according to Wired. The agency told two U.S. Senators about these plans, which involve the development of a mandatory nationwide survey. Although the EIA has not yet set a specific date for when it will implement the new questionnaire, the planned disclosure requirements represent a major shift toward regulatory oversight for the digital infrastructure sector.

This regulatory development follows direct pressure from U.S. lawmakers. The development comes a month after U.S. Senators Josh Hawley and Elizabeth Warren sent a letter asking the EIA to gather data on data centers. The senators’ request was an effort to push the agency to cover an industry that is consuming ever-increasing amounts of energy. The request from Senators Hawley and Warren highlights the growing political scrutiny surrounding the energy consumption of the data center industry. By requiring these disclosures, the agency plans to address the industry’s growing energy consumption.

To prepare for the nationwide rollout, the EIA is executing a phased data-collection strategy. In March, the agency announced it would conduct an initial pilot survey of 196 companies across Texas, Washington state, and the Washington, D.C.-Northern Virginia metro area. Following this, in April, the EIA said it would launch a second pilot survey in three different states. EIA chief Tristan Abbey expects these two pilot surveys to be complete in September. Once the pilot surveys are finished, the agency plans to begin developing the mandatory survey that will cover data centers nationwide. This phased timeline indicates that the agency is taking a measured approach to understanding the industry’s power requirements before implementing a nationwide reporting mandate.

Why it matters

The EIA is moving to mandate energy usage disclosures for data centers, following pressure from U.S. Senators to address the industry’s rapidly growing energy consumption.