Data centers get ready — the Senate wants to see your power bills

Two U.S. Senators, Josh Hawley and Elizabeth Warren, have urged the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) to implement mandatory annual reporting requirements on energy consumption by data centers and other large electricity users. In a letter viewed by TechCrunch, they emphasized the need for reliable, standardized data to support effective grid planning amid accelerating electricity demand growth. The senators specifically requested granular data distinguishing energy use for AI computing tasks versus general cloud services, including hourly, annual, and peak loads, rates paid, grid upgrades prompted by new loads, and participation in demand response programs. This move follows increasing political scrutiny of data centers’ rising energy consumption, highlighted by recent proposals from Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to pause new data center construction until AI regulation is established. Data center energy use has surged in recent years and is projected to continue growing significantly, with new facilities expected to substantially increase sector demand by 2035. The EIA, a government agency responsible