In a rare show of unity, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) are pressing federal energy officials to pull back the curtain on how much power data centers consume. The senators sent a formal letter to the Energy Information Administration this week, calling for mandatory annual reporting from the industry.

The push comes as the race to build infrastructure for artificial intelligence and cloud computing accelerates. Tech firms are securing vast tracts of land for new facilities, a trend met with both lucrative buyouts and local resistance. The exact electricity and water demands of these sprawling operations, however, often remain opaque.

"This data is essential for reliable grid planning and for crafting policies that protect households from bearing the cost of surging industrial demand," the senators wrote. Independent analysis from BloombergNEF projects data center energy needs will more than double by 2035.

The call for transparency is part of a broader, urgent congressional focus on the sector's expansion. Just a day earlier, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) proposed legislation to halt new data center construction until federal safeguards are established. Sanders described the AI-driven shift as "the most sweeping technological revolution in history," warning that lawmakers are struggling to keep pace with its consequences.

Source: CNET