Sponsor
Greg Landsman
Representative · D-OH
Representative · D-OH
Official title: To require an assessment of the environmental and public health effects of data centers, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 9, 2026 by Greg Landsman · Last progress July 9, 2026
The bill funds a rapid, science-based assessment of environmental and health impacts from data centers that can guide targeted policy and mitigation, but it may produce preliminary findings and ultimately raise costs for businesses, consumers, and taxpayers if recommendations lead to regulations or public spending.
Taxpayers and lawmakers: receive a science-based assessment that gives Congress actionable evidence to craft targeted policy or funding responses.
Nearby rural and urban communities: may experience reduced noise and air pollution if the report's recommended mitigations are adopted.
Local water users and municipal water systems: could face lower water stress if the assessment identifies and leads to implementation of data center water-saving measures.
Businesses, data center operators, and consumers: could face higher costs if recommendations lead to new regulations or retrofit requirements, with those costs potentially passed on to customers.
Taxpayers and the federal budget: implementing recommended mitigations may require public spending or incentives, creating fiscal trade-offs for Congress.
Policymakers and affected communities: the 180-day deadline for the assessment may produce preliminary or incomplete findings, risking misdirected or premature policy decisions.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires EPA to engage the National Academies to assess data centers' noise, air, water, carbon, and waste impacts and recommend mitigations, with a report due in 180 days.
Requires the EPA to contract with the National Academies to study how data centers affect air and noise pollution, water use and supply, carbon emissions, and waste (including e-waste), and to produce mitigation recommendations. The National Academies must deliver a report with findings and recommendations to relevant congressional committees within 180 days of enactment. The law does not itself impose new regulations or funding; it directs an expert assessment and policy recommendations to inform future federal or state action on data center environmental and public‑health impacts.