I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6984 
To require reports on the effects of data centers on air quality and water 
quality, and on electricity consumption by data centers. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 8, 2026 
Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself and Mr. CASAR) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To require reports on the effects of data centers on air 
quality and water quality, and on electricity consumption 
by data centers. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Data Center Trans-
parency Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. REPORTS ON THE EFFECTS OF DATA CENTERS ON 
AIR QUALITY AND WATER QUALITY; REPORTS 
ON ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION BY DATA 
CENTERS. 
(a) REPORTS ON THE EFFECTS OF DATA CENTERS 
ON AIR QUALITY AND WATER QUALITY.—Not later than 
6 months after the date of enactment of this section, and 
not less frequently than once every 3 months thereafter, 
the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agen-
cy shall submit to Congress, and make publicly available 
on a website, a report that identifies, with respect to the 
period of 3 months preceding the submission and publica-
tion of the report— 
(1) the total amount of water consumed by data 
centers located in the United States; 
(2) how such data centers reuse water, and the 
amount of such reused water; 
(3) how such data centers affect local water 
systems, including with respect to— 
(A) the availability of potable water; 
(B) whether the data center increased de-
mand on local water utilities; 
(C) any potential data on service disrup-
tions for other customers of local water utilities; 
(D) any changes in residential rates for 
water services; and 
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(E) the type and amount of pollutants (as 
such term is defined in section 502(6) of the 
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1362(6))) discharged into water by data cen-
ters; 
(4) the total amount of greenhouse gases emit-
ted from such data centers; and 
(5) the effect of such greenhouse gas emissions, 
including the cumulative effect on overburdened 
communities. 
(b) REPORTS
ON ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION
BY 
DATA CENTERS.— 
(1) COLLECTION OF DATA.—The Administrator 
of the Energy Information Administration shall col-
lect data on the total amount of energy consumed 
every 6 months by each data center located in the 
United States. 
(2) REPORTS.—Not later than 6 months after 
the date of enactment of this section, and not less 
frequently than once every 6 months thereafter, the 
Administrator of the Energy Information Adminis-
tration shall submit to Congress, and make publicly 
available on a website, a report that identifies, with 
respect to the period of 6 months preceding the sub-
mission and publication of the report— 
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(A) the total amount of energy consump-
tion by data centers, disaggregated by State; 
(B) how such energy consumption may 
have changed during such period of 6 months; 
(C) the number of data centers that began 
operating during such period of 6 months; 
(D) how household energy bills may have 
changed during such period of 6 months; and 
(E) the average household energy use and 
cost. 
(c) DATA CENTER DEFINED.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘data center’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 453(a) of the Energy Independence and Security 
Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17112(a)). 
Æ 
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