Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and John Fetterman (D-PA) have introduced the Clean Cloud Act, a bill aimed at setting emissions standards for electricity used by data centers and cryptomining facilities in the United States. The move comes as power demand from these sectors drives up consumer electricity costs and increases fossil fuel reliance, with some retired coal plants being restarted to meet demand. The proposed legislation instructs the EPA to establish annual emissions performance standards for large data centers and cryptomining operations, penalizing emissions above the threshold. Revenue from these penalties will support low-income ratepayers and fund grants for clean energy projects. The act is backed by industry and labor groups and aims to ensure that the growth of technological infrastructure in AI and crypto does not compromise environmental or consumer welfare.
