Data Center Water and Energy Transparency Act of 2026

This bill establishes a mandatory reporting system for data center operators regarding their energy and water consumption. Operators of data centers with a peak demand of 25 megawatts or more, including those planning new construction or expansion, must submit annual reports. These reports detail past and projected energy and water use, including sources and efficiency metrics like Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE).

Reports are primarily submitted to the relevant State, which can also assess fees to support data collection. If a State lacks a reporting program, operators must submit the required information directly to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretaries of Energy and Agriculture. These reports are also made available to affected local governments upon request.

States are required to submit anonymized and aggregated data from their collected reports to the federal agencies. The Administrator and Secretaries will then jointly publish an annual public report summarizing national data center energy and water use, regional impacts on resources and communities, and environmental effects. This public report will also include recommendations for best practices to mitigate these impacts. Non-compliance with federal reporting requirements can result in significant daily fines, adjusted for inflation, ensuring accountability for data center operators.