Rep. Ro Khanna calls for ‘Data Center Bill of Rights’ and says the industry needs regulation
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) has proposed a "Data Center Bill of Rights" resolution, advocating for federal regulation of data centers to give local communities more say in their construction. The resolution aims to ban data centers from residential and farmland areas, prevent electricity price increases, and mandate clean energy use, addressing widespread concerns over environmental impacts and community opposition.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) has introduced a "Data Center Bill of Rights" resolution, advocating for federal regulation of the data center industry. Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," Khanna argued that local communities must have a greater say in data center development, stating that projects should not be "shoved down the throats of a local community.
The proposed resolution aims to prevent data centers from being built in residential areas or on farmland, reject increases in electricity prices for residents, and mandate the use of clean energy by data centers. Khanna highlighted widespread community concerns regarding water and energy consumption, noise, and air pollution associated with these facilities.
Khanna also noted that data centers have become a significant electoral issue nationwide, with a recent Gallup survey indicating that 71% of Americans oppose local construction of AI data centers. He emphasized the need for a "pause" in development to "get this right," aligning with sentiments for moratoriums on new data centers.