Establish Federal Oversight and Transparency Mechanisms

Despite the staggering projections for energy and resource use coming from the data center industry, there is no comprehensive system for tracking and evaluating data center resource use. Data center developers and operators often try to keep information about their deals and resource use secret, obscuring details from the public and claiming that transparency can tip off competitors, threaten national security, and affect negotiations for tax incentives. While states should develop their own state oversight mechanisms—including the ability to intervene to stop data center proposals that threaten state resources—the effects from data centers are felt regionally and across state lines, requiring a federalized approach to data center transparency.