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Exposing AI Data Center Threats and Harms

Policy Tracker

Understand the Latest Policy Decisions on Data Centers

The policy tracker is an interactive library of current legislation affecting data center development at the state and federal level. Each bill entry captures the essential information advocates need to engage quickly.

Please log in to comment on specific posts. To stay in the loop on data center policy, join Halt the Harm Network. This gives you access to the free leader network, plus a monthly briefing with journalist Tim Bernard, Tech Policy Press.

Search Data Center Policy

  • Title and summary of what the bill actually does, in plain language.
  • State or federal jurisdiction and current session.
  • Bill status — introduced, in committee, passed one chamber, passed both, died, or signed.
  • Party of the lead sponsor(s).
  • Direct link to the legislation for deeper reading and tracking.

What’s Tracked

The tracker covers bills ranging from moratoria on new data centers, to water and energy reporting requirements, to targeted repeals or conditions on tax breaks, to rate-protection measures keeping data center costs off household utility bills.

  • Find precedents for the policy you want in your community 
  • Brief your legislator with model language from comparable bills
  • Watch for threats: pre-emption bills, critical infrastructure carve-outs, and expanded tax giveaways are in the tracker too

LEGEND

Bill Status Definitions

These describe where a bill or policy stands in the legislative process. The order below reflects a suggested progression — please confirm or adjust.

OrderStatusDefinition
1introduced
2in committee
3in chamber
4passed one chamber
5passed both chambers
6vetoed
7adopted
8enacted
9substitutedThe bill no longer directly concerns data centers
10died
Concerns, Objective, and Methods

These describe what a bill addresses or how it intervenes. Bills can have multiple concerns. On the tracker, these appear as combinations of the terms below.

TermDefinition
capacityAttempts to mitigate data centers’ high electricity load or water usage, for example by transparency measures, supporting improvements to infrastructure, or increasing power generation.
capital investmentRelating to how the government spends money on establishing, improving, or migrating its own data storage.
environmentAppears to be motivated by a desire to limit CO2 emissions, protect water supplies or public lands, or prevent noise nuisance
feeImposes a direct charge on data centers
foreignTackles security concerns about data centers in other countries, especially those in adversary nations (Many of these are aimed at shutting down disingenuous veterans’ benefits consultants)
incentive+Creates or expands an incentive for data centers to be established, often but not always through a tax rebate or exemption, or a special low tax rate
incentive-Limits, removes, or tightens the eligibility criteria for an existing incentive
protect cryptoPrevents crypto mining facilities being singled out for local regulation above other data centers (identical and near-identical bills)
ratesAttempts to mitigate or measure the impact of data centers on the electricity rates of non-data center customers
regulationDirectly imposes rules or regulator oversight for data centers, or introduces new or stricter data center approvals processes
study/data collectionInitiates a study into how to best handle data centers, typically into managing tradeoffs with externalities and sometimes into incentivizing their establishment, or directs the collection of data about the facilities’ impact

Tim Bernard

Tech policy analyst

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Bring your questions and insight to the next meetup on data center policy with Tim Bernard (full bio below), who keeps the policy data up to date.

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Data Center Policy Tracker

Sessions:

Party:

Bill Status:

Policy Type:

State:

Gateways:

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that every American and community impacted by the construction or o… (opens in a new tab)

Resolution affirming that those impacted by the construction or operation of data centers should have a set of rights (”Data Center Bill of Rights”) to transparency and local autonomy, including: limiting locations,…

in committee D
Session
Current
State
Federal
View — Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that every American and community impacted by the construction or operation of an artificial intelligence data center should have the right to transparency and local autonomy. (H.Res.1471, US)

Amendment (193) … to the House Bill relative to economic development in the commonwealth. (S.3213, MA) (opens in a new tab)

Requires new and expanded data centers to procure 100% new clean energy resources. To obtain a permit for fossil-fuel backup generators, infeasibility of clean sources must be demonstrated, phasing to 100% clean energy b…

died D
Session
Current
State
Massachusetts
View — Amendment (193) … to the House Bill relative to economic development in the commonwealth. (S.3213, MA)

An Act to amend the laws of Delaware relating to a moratorium on data center development. (SB 353, DE) (opens in a new tab)

Imposes moratorium, through January 31, 2027, on all applications and permits related to development of large-scale data centers. During moratorium, General Assembly to convene working groups, hold public hearings, and…

in committee R
Session
Current
State
Delaware
View — An Act to amend the laws of Delaware relating to a moratorium on data center development. (SB 353, DE)

An act to add Article 14.7 (commencing with Section 945) to Chapter 4 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Co… (opens in a new tab)

Electricity utilities required to file a service, transmission and distribution tariff for data centers for approval that: ensures covering a reasonable share of costs related to wildfire mitigation and liability, electr…

in chamber passed one chamber D R
Session
Current
State
California
View — An act to add Article 14.7 (commencing with Section 945) to Chapter 4 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity. (AB-2383, CA)

An Act amending the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.805, No.247), known as the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, in g… (opens in a new tab)

Authorizes local government to impose a 180-day maximum moratorium on accepting new data center land development permits. During moratorium, it may change land use ordinances relating to data centers for any applications…

in committee passed one chamber D R
Session
Current
State
Pennsylvania
View — An Act amending the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.805, No.247), known as the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, in general provisions, providing for pause on data center proposals. (HB 2496, PA)

A bill to require certain data centers to be subject to community benefit agreements; to provide for the review and appr… (opens in a new tab)

Requires data centers to submit, have approved by local government, and enter into community benefit agreement before beginning construction or operation. To gain approval, agreement must “accommodate and benefit the p…

in committee D
Session
Current
State
Michigan
View — A bill to require certain data centers to be subject to community benefit agreements; to provide for the review and approval of community benefit agreements; to provide for the powers and duties of certain state and local governmental officers and entities; and to provide for the promulgation of rules. (SB 1050, MI)

An Act … in computer data center equipment incentive program, providing for certification prohibition; providing for G… (opens in a new tab)

Ends an existing tax break for data centers. Establishes certification process for data centers to demonstrate compliance with responsible infrastructure development (GRID) standards. These include: using increasing mini…

in committee passed one chamber D R
Session
Current
State
Pennsylvania
View — An Act … in computer data center equipment incentive program, providing for certification prohibition; providing for Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development certification and standards; and imposing duties. (HB2650 / SB1384, PA)

A Resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study and issue a report on waste heat recover… (opens in a new tab)

Direct the Joint State Government Commission to produce a report investigating how heat from data centers can be captured and repurposed., including opportunities and barriers, potential economic and environmental benefi…

in committee D
Session
Current
State
Pennsylvania
View — A Resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study and issue a report on waste heat recovery in this Commonwealth. (HR 564, PA)

Tim Bernard

Tim Bernard is an independent tech policy analyst. He has consulted broadly, written extensively for Tech Policy Press, with articles cited in The Atlantic, Bloomberg’s Tech Daily and a Supreme Court amicus brief, and also published a white paper for Stanford University’s Program on Platform regulation.

Tim has particular expertise with reviewing legislation related to online safety and data centers. He lives in New York City, where he studied at Cornell Tech and is currently adjunct teaching at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).

This event is a brief update followed by Q&A discussion with Tim about policy trends. Join Halt the Harm Network and create a profile to access this event. Any questions, please reach out.

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