Data centers are the backbone of the modern internet and the current AI boom, but they are also some of the largest consumers of electricity and water in the country. In some regions, a single data center campus can use as much water as a small city or put enough strain on the power grid to require the reopening of old power plants. Currently, much of this usage data is kept secret by tech companies, making it difficult for the public to know the true environmental cost.

If this bill becomes law, it replaces secrecy with transparency. Voters and local leaders will be able to see if a data center is straining their local water supply during a drought or if its energy demand might lead to higher electricity bills for residents. Without this law, utility planning remains reactive, and companies have less public pressure to implement water-saving or energy-efficient technologies.