- Updated: March 26, 2026
- 5 min read
Senators Push Mandatory Data Center Energy Reporting After EIA Letter
Skip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonThe VergeThe Verge logo.Senators are pushing to find out how much electricity data centers actually usePolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AINewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsSenators are pushing to find out how much electricity data centers actually useA bipartisan letter is the latest attempt to hold data centers accountable for rising electricity costs.A bipartisan letter is the latest attempt to hold data centers accountable for rising electricity costs.by Stevie BonifieldCloseStevie BonifieldNews WriterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Stevie BonifieldMar 26, 2026, 2:25 PM UTCLinkShareGiftAn Amazon data center in Oregon. Image: AmazonStevie BonifieldCloseStevie BonifieldPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Stevie Bonifield is a news writer covering all things consumer tech. Stevie started out at Laptop Mag writing news and reviews on hardware, gaming, and AI.On Thursday, senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) sent a letter to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) asking it to collect “comprehensive, annual energy-use disclosures” on data centers and make that information publicly available, as first reported by Wired.They’re urging the agency to “establish a mandatory annual reporting requirement for data centers,” saying the data is “essential for accurate grid planning,” and ensuring the seven tech companies that signed the Ratepayer Protection Pledge earlier this month adhere to their commitments.The EIA announced Wednesday that it’s launching a voluntary pilot program to evaluate data center energy use in Texas, Washington, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC.What Warren and Hawley are calling for in their letter is broader, mandatory reporting on data center energy consumption.RelatedCommunities are rising up against data centers — and winningOn Wednesday, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced a bill proposing a moratorium on data center construction.Similarly, in February, senators Hawley and Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced a bill aiming to slow electricity cost increases stemming from data centers.Numerous state-level bills are also under consideration, like one in New York that would put a three-year pause on new data center construction. In December, Democratic lawmakers also wrote to tech companies and data center developers demanding answers on power use and potential expansion plans.Update, March 26th: Added additional commentary from senators Warren and Hawley’s letter.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Stevie BonifieldCloseStevie BonifieldNews WriterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Stevie BonifieldAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AINewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsPolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyMost PopularMost PopularThe United States router ban, explainedSeiko resurrected a 44-year-old digital watch NASA astronauts wore to spaceIntel and LG Display may have beaten Apple and Qualcomm with the best laptop battery life everThe best deals we’ve found from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale (so far)Disney’s big bets on the metaverse and AI slop aren’t going so wellThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Andrii Bidochko
CTO UBOS
Andrii Bidochko is an AI entrepreneur and researcher focused on AI agents, reinforcement learning, and autonomous systems. He writes about the technologies shaping the future of machine intelligence, from frontier models and agent architectures to real-world AI applications.