VA Rep. Suhas Subramanyam Unveils National Data Center Legislation

ASHBURN, VA — U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam is proposing a package of federal legislation aimed at addressing the effects of rapid data center development on electricity costs, local quality of life and the environment.

Subramanyam, a Democrat who represents Virginia's 10th congressional district, announced the four-bill National Data Center Plan on Tuesday. His district includes Loudoun County, home to one of the world's largest concentrations of data centers. Subramanyam said the legislation is intended to replace what he described as an ad hoc approach to data center development with national standards.

"Our region is home to the fourth largest concentration of data centers in the world, and many more are on the way," Subramanyam said in announcing the package. He cited rising utility bills, new transmission infrastructure, noise, environmental effects and concerns about property as issues facing Northern Virginia communities.

The package includes four bills:

• The Responsible Data Center Siting Act would direct the U.S. Department of Energy to establish best practices for deciding where data centers should be built. The guidelines would consider electricity availability, utility rates, water and electricity consumption, environmental effects, noise, national security, workforce needs and tax revenue. The bill was introduced as H.R. 10321 and referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
• The Data Center Fair Share Act would require states to establish utility rates designed to make data centers and other large electricity users pay the full incremental cost of grid and power-generation upgrades needed to serve them. States that don't implement the standards could lose access to federal highway funding. The measure was introduced as H.R. 10322.
• The Data Infrastructure Energy Measurement and Standards Act would direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop standards for measuring data centers' energy and water consumption. Subramanyam introduced the bill as H.R. 9372 in June.
• The Data Infrastructure Risk Reduction Act would require development of a strategy intended to protect communities near data centers and related infrastructure from national-security threats.

Subramanyam has previously introduced legislation to regulate the industry.

The proposals come as data center growth remains a major issue in Northern Virginia. Subramanyam's congressional district already contains hundreds of data centers, with hundreds more planned.