Mandatory data‑center energy reporting

U.S. senators are pressing the Energy Information Administration to move beyond a voluntary pilot and require regular, public reporting of data centers' electricity consumption, including behind‑the‑meter generation and cooling metrics. The push links state-level grid stress, corporate pledges to absorb costs, and proposed federal actions (including AI moratoria) that hinge on accurate energy accounting. — If regulators require this reporting, it will change how utilities plan capacity, how local communities assess development, and how policymakers hold tech firms accountable for energy and climate impacts.