United StatesDirects NIST to develop data center energy and water measurement standards
Better measurement standards could improve energy and water demand forecasting, affecting utility planning, costs, and environmental impacts for communities.
What it does
Creates a NIST measurement research program to improve measurement standards for data center energy and water use, explicitly including AI training and inference workloads.
Requires research and testing to improve accuracy, timeliness, and reliability of energy and water measurement for data centers.
Directs development or identification of best practices, definitions, methodologies, and procedures that account for workload types, temporal load profiles, IT and cooling configurations, and local climate/resource factors.
Requires studying gaps in data collection, availability (public and non-public), researcher access, and risks to forecasting, and supporting standardized metrics and data-sharing mechanisms.
Requires stakeholder engagement, coordination with DOE and international standards organizations, congressional briefings, and authorizes $10 million per year for FY2027–2029.
Argument forBetter measurement standards and standardized metrics will improve forecasting of electricity and water demand from data centers, supporting planning for utilities and grid operators.
Argument againstRequiring study of data from 'non-public sources' and promoting open data could raise proprietary, confidentiality, and security concerns for private companies.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jun 25Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session HeldLatest
- Jun 25Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 34 - 1.
- Jun 23Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H4134)
- Jun 18Introduced in House
- Jun 18Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.Introduced
TechnologyEnvironment & EnergyAI & Privacy