Impact Type: Environmental Impacts

A Bill … relating to large data centers; moratorium; approval requirements; prevailing wage required; public utility independent classifications; community investment program; report. (SB850, VA)

Places a one-year moratorium on the issuance of permits by the Department of Environmental Quality and by municipalities for large data centers. Prohibits Department from issuing approvals for large data centers unless it conducts public hearings with notice giving info about energy and water impacts and incentives and implements a community investment program for installing…

Community & Social Impacts, Economic Impacts, Environmental Impacts, Human Rights & Labor Exploitation, Public Health Impacts
Data Center Community Support and Compliance Act (HB2888, PA)

Requires large data centers to submit energy, water and sustainability plans to Department of Environmental Protection; regional benefits, and noise and vibration mitigation plans, and prior to operations or expansion, a community benefit plan and agreement, to be submitted to Department of Community and Economic Development (plan highlights below). Certification of compliance from both depts…

Community & Social Impacts, Economic Impacts, Environmental Impacts, Environmental Justice, Grid & Infrastructure Impacts, Public Health Impacts
Data Center Oversight Act (H.R.10950, US)

Require large data centers to file public disclosure statements with the Secretary of Energy, including costs for electricity upgrades and how they are financed; how rates for other customers are impacted; details of electricity generation; water usage and cooling systems; distance from schools, parks, and hospitals; labor arrangements; any NDAs. Information to be published in…

Community & Social Impacts, Economic Impacts, Environmental Impacts, Grid & Infrastructure Impacts, Human Rights & Labor Exploitation, Public Health Impacts
Data Center Energy Accountability Act (HB5826, MI)

Requires data centers to report annual electricity demand in detail. Requires data centers to self-generate or procure 100% of their demand in renewable energy (including via credits). If a data center is unable to meet requirements for a given year, it must make payment for each megawatt-hour shortfall into Electron Accelerator Fund which will support…

Environmental Impacts, Grid & Infrastructure Impacts
An Act concerning certain data center development public notice requirements and supplementing and amending P.L.1975, c.291. (A5586, NJ)

Requires that data center developers hold at least one community information meeting, advertised at least one week in advance in publications and social media, at least 90 days before applying for preliminary site plan approval. They must also coordinate social media and website posts with municipality concerning the project and approval process; send direct mail…

Community & Social Impacts, Economic Impacts, Environmental Impacts, Grid & Infrastructure Impacts
An Act concerning local government. (HB5818, IL)

Authorizes counties and municipalities to: establish data center construction standards, which may include: size, height, and design of structures and the number of facilities that may be located within a geographic area; issue standards for data centers to protect water and mitigate noise. Requires at least one public hearing before data center siting decisions are…

Environmental Impacts
An Act amending the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.805, No.247) … in subdivision and land development, providing for local option for high impact data centers. (HB2821, PA)

Requires municipalities to hold local referendum to approve proposed high impact data centers. Ballot to include brief description of the proposed development, including the total acreage, proposed building size, any proposed road and street improvements, estimated peak electricity demand and water usage, and estimated noise impacts.

Environmental Impacts, Grid & Infrastructure Impacts
Data Center Transparency Act of 2026 (S.5640, US)

Directs EPA to report quarterly on the impacts of data centers on air quality and water quality, availability and cost; on greenhouse gas emissions and their impacts on overburdened communities, electricity and water consumption; data center growth and impacts on residential energy costs. Report to be made public.

Economic Impacts, Environmental Impacts, Environmental Justice, Grid & Infrastructure Impacts
An Act concerning data center development in the State. (S4659 / A5663, NJ)

Directs Department of Environmental Protection to conduct study on environmental impacts of data center development within 15 months, including: energy and water usage, grid and infrastructure impacts, air and noise pollution, land usage, e-waste, public health impacts, electricity rates and other fiscal impacts, energy efficiency, fossil fuels / renewable sources, disproportionate impacts on overburdened communities.…

Community & Social Impacts, Economic Impacts, Environmental Impacts, Grid & Infrastructure Impacts, Public Health Impacts
An Act concerning data center development and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes. (S4658 / A5646, NJ)

Requires data centers to submit annual report to Department of Environmental Protection including: community benefit agreements, greenhouse gas emissions incl. indirect from energy consumption and water quality violations. Pre-operation data center projects must also submit report including proposed energy demands. Directs Department to establish Data Center Transparency Dashboard to publicly report data from these reports;…

Community & Social Impacts, Environmental Impacts