The US government will soon require data centers to report their energy usage under a new mandatory assessment by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), according to a letter obtained by WIRED. The move comes amid rising concerns over the sector’s expanding electricity demands, driven by artificial intelligence and cloud computing growth.
The EIA informed two senators in the letter that it plans to develop the first federal-level mandatory survey of data center power consumption. Analysts estimate US data centers currently consume over 2% of the nation’s electricity, with projections suggesting this could double by 2026.
‘This is a necessary step for infrastructure planning,’ said an energy policy official familiar with the matter who requested anonymity. ‘We’re seeing unprecedented growth in compute needs without clear visibility into the energy impacts.’
The initiative follows pressure from lawmakers concerned about grid reliability. A 2023 Department of Energy study found that data center clusters in Virginia and Texas are already straining local power infrastructure.
Industry groups have previously resisted mandatory reporting, advocating for voluntary measures instead. The new requirements could face legal challenges over what some companies consider proprietary operational data.
Energy analysts suggest the move may precede future efficiency regulations, particularly for power-intensive AI training facilities. The EIA expects to finalize the reporting framework within six months.