US to survey data centers on electricity consumption
16 Apr 2026

The US government's Energy Information Administration (EIA) is planning a nationwide survey to assess the energy consumption of data centers, according to WIRED.

The move comes after Senators Elizabeth Warren and Josh Hawley raised concerns about the lack of information on this issue.

The EIA's Tristan Abbey confirmed the plan in a letter dated April 9, responding to their earlier inquiry.

EIA survey vital for accountability, says Warren
Call for accountability

Senator Warren stressed the importance of the EIA's survey, saying, "Americans deserve to know how much energy data centers are sucking up and what that's doing to their utility bills."

She added that while this survey is a step toward holding data centers accountable, there's an urgent need to collect and share this data as soon as possible.

Data centers' energy consumption and public concern
Industry scrutiny

The rapid growth of data centers in the US has raised public concerns and sparked proposed legislation to curb their resource consumption. However, official data on this industry is surprisingly scarce.

Most information about data centers' energy consumption is considered proprietary business information and is not made public.

This lack of transparency has further fueled public concern over rising utility bills.

EIA's ongoing pilot surveys and expansion plans
Survey details

The EIA conducts mandatory surveys of various energy generation providers, including oil and gas production, electric generation, and renewables.

In late March, it announced a pilot survey in three regions with heavy data center development: Texas, Washington state, and the northern Virginia/DC metro area.

Abbey's letter revealed that a second round of pilot surveys covering at least three more states will be announced.

Comprehensive data center information to be collected
Survey scope

The EIA's pilot surveys will collect information not just on annual electricity use but also on behind-the-meter power generation.

The surveys will also include questions about the classification of different types of data centers, cooling systems, facility characteristics like square footage, and IT specifications including metrics on energy efficiency.

Abbey's letter emphasized these two pilot studies are "a necessary step in the methodical development of a nationwide mandatory survey."