A Republican bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "POWER Act," directs the Secretary of Energy to submit reports to Congress regarding the energy and water usage of certain data centers. The Secretary must consult with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency when preparing these reports. Reports must be submitted two years after enactment and annually thereafter. The data requested includes water usage from public water systems, whether data centers generate their own electricity, and connection costs to the bulk-power system. These reports aim to provide oversight on how data centers utilize resources.
Yes· 3 of 7
- Scored +3
Would farmers be better off under this?
The bill explicitly seeks to protect valuable farm and ranchland from the impact of data center operations.
- Scored +3
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill mandates reporting on water and energy usage to prevent the sacrifice of nation's water resources.
- Scored +3
Does this put more rules on large technology companies?
The bill increases oversight of data centers by requiring reports on their electricity and water consumption.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Resource Protection: The bill seeks to ensure that the construction and operation of data centers do not sacrifice the nation's water resources or valuable farm and ranchland (Section 2).
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Financial Oversight: The report will track the costs associated with connecting data centers to the bulk-power system and identify who paid those costs (Section 3, paragraph 4).
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Transparency on Energy and Water: The Secretary of Energy will provide data on the amount of water used by covered data centers, including water that is recycled and reused (Section 3, paragraph 1).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would farmers be better off under this? — The bill explicitly seeks to protect valuable farm and ranchland from the impact of data center operations. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill seeks to protect land and water resources that are often vital to rural communities.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill mandates reporting on water and energy usage to prevent the sacrifice of nation's water resources. Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill includes findings meant to protect valuable farm and ranchland from data center expansion.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more rules on large technology companies? — The bill increases oversight of data centers by requiring reports on their electricity and water consumption.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires the Secretary of Energy to submit annual reports to Congress regarding data center resource usage.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make the government pay for what it commits to? — The bill aims to ensure the federal government is not subsidizing data centers that would not be viable otherwise.
- 8/10/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/22/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Introduced in House
Josh BrecheenRepublican · Oklahoma