Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) sent a letter Thursday to the Energy Information Administration requesting the agency begin collecting comprehensive annual energy usage data from data centers across the United States.

The bipartisan request urges the EIA to mandate annual electricity disclosure requirements for data center facilities. The senators argue that comprehensive energy consumption data from these facilities is currently lacking but essential for proper electrical grid planning.

According to the letter, accurate information about data center electricity usage would help utilities and grid operators better understand and plan for energy demands. Data centers house the servers and computing infrastructure that power internet services, cloud computing, and increasingly energy-intensive applications like artificial intelligence.

The Energy Information Administration currently collects energy usage data from various sectors but does not have specific comprehensive reporting requirements for data centers. The senators' request would establish regular disclosure mechanisms to track electricity consumption across the data center industry.

The timing of the request comes as data center construction has accelerated nationwide, driven by increased demand for cloud services and AI computing power. These facilities typically require substantial amounts of electricity for both computing operations and cooling systems.