Unleashing Low-Cost Rural AI Act

This bill tells the Department of Energy to pick a National Lab to study how the fast growth of artificial intelligence and data centers will affect the country’s energy supply. It looks at what upgrades to power lines and other infrastructure might be needed, how costs and reliability could change, and the effects on land and water use and on consumers’ bills. It also asks whether these sites can use power from hydro, solar, wind, battery storage, carbon capture, nuclear, and geothermal, and how to speed up environmental reviews and permits for new sites and the power equipment they need. The study will focus first on remote areas. A report is due within 180 days after the law takes effect.

Key points:

• Who is affected: people in remote and rural communities, utilities and energy producers, data center and AI developers, and consumers who may see bill impacts.
• What changes: a National Lab will run a study on co-locating AI and data centers (including on land owned by public utilities), needed grid upgrades, energy sources that could power them, and ways to speed up permits.
• When: the Department of Energy must deliver findings within 180 days after the law is enacted.