Josh Hawley and Elizabeth Warren have called on the Energy Information Administration to require detailed reporting on data center electricity use, citing growing pressure on the power grid as demand rises.
In a letter viewed by TechCrunch, the senators urged the agency to establish mandatory annual reporting requirements for data centers and other large energy users. They said the absence of consistent and standardised data creates risks for grid planning as electricity demand increases after years of slower growth.
Call For Detailed Energy Data Collection
The lawmakers asked the agency to collect more granular information than is currently available. Requested data includes hourly, annual, and peak electricity consumption, as well as the rates companies pay for power.
They also asked for details on how energy use differs between AI-related workloads and general cloud computing, along with information on infrastructure upgrades required to support large-scale energy demand. The letter further seeks clarity on how such upgrades are funded and whether data center operators participate in demand response programmes, where companies reduce consumption in exchange for incentives.
The report on the letter was first published by Wired.
Rising Energy Demand From Data Centers
Energy consumption from data centers has increased significantly in recent years. Google, for example, doubled the energy use of its data centers between 2020 and 2024. Projections indicate that by 2035, planned facilities could nearly triple the sector’s total energy demand.
The Energy Information Administration, established in 1977 under the Department of Energy, collects and analyses national energy data. Its reporting currently groups consumption into broad categories such as residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation, without isolating data centers as a distinct category.
Broader Political And Regulatory Activity
The request from Hawley and Warren follows additional political action targeting data center growth. Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said they plan to introduce legislation that would pause new data center construction until regulatory frameworks for AI are established.
The letter also references comments from EIA administrator Tristan Abbey, who said in December that the agency would play a central role in tracking energy demand from data centers. Hawley and Warren requested a response by April 9.
Challenges In Expanding Data Collection
Expanding EIA data collection could take time. New surveys typically require approval through the Office of Management and Budget, including a public comment process, which can take up to two years.
Abbey noted that while launching a full-scale survey can be lengthy, smaller and more targeted data collection efforts may be implemented more quickly under existing authorities.
Featured image credits: SouthWest Florida Electric Inc
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