TRENTON – The Senate Environment and Energy Committee advanced a bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz and Senator Renee Burgess that requires owners or operators of data centers to submit a report to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) detailing the data center’s water and energy usage, performance calculations and indicators, and sustainability indicators.
“Data centers consume an extraordinary amount of energy and water, using as much in a single day as hundreds of homes,” said Majority Leader Ruiz (D-Essex/Hudson). “As their growth continues to surge, we must be diligent in assessing their environmental footprint and economic impact. Requiring reporting on the water and energy consumption of these facilities will increase oversight, accountability, and give us the data necessary to create equitable policies that protect consumers and our environment.”
“As more data centers move into our region, the strain on our electric grid and environment will grow. Effective assessment and monitoring of these facilities is crucial to manage resources and energy costs for residents,” said Senator Burgess (D-Essex/Union). “Tracking energy and water consumption at data centers is key to ensuring this new technology does not place an undue burden on New Jersey communities.”
The bill, S4293, is in direct response to mounting concerns over surging electricity demand driven in part by the rise of data centers across the region.
The report requires the owner or operator of a data center to submit a water and energy usage report to the BPU within 6 months after the bill’s effective date, or 3 months after the bills effective date for data centers that have been operational for at least 1 year. Data centers would be required to submit a report quarterly thereafter. It would include basic information such as the name and address and the data center, along with specific information related to energy and water consumption. This would include the name of the utility provider serving the data center and any agreements between the parties, the total energy consumption for information technology and equipment cooling at the data center in kilowatt hours, and the source of water for the data center along with the total water input in cubic meters.
The report would also include key performance details, such as the temperature range of the air used to cool computer systems and the average temperature of the heat the data center gives off. It would also cover how much of the electricity comes from renewable sources and how much waste heat is reused.
Once the BPU gets the report, they must post it on their website within 30 days and keep it updated. If a data center plans to make major changes to how it runs or what technology it uses, it must let the BPU know at least 60 days before making those changes.
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