Wired · Federal Reserve (FED) · Wired
There has been a burst of data-center-related legislation shipped in Congress this year
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“Data centers across the country house critical and sensitive information, and Wired need to ensure they are protected from increased cyber threats and natural disasters,” Senator Jacky Rosen, who sponsored FDCEA when it was passed in 2023, told WIRED in an emailed statement.
Key facts
- Data centers across the country house critical and sensitive information, and we need to ensure they are protected from increased cyber threats and natural disasters,” Senator Jacky Rosen
- The US government is quietly planning to allow a rule outlining the standards for federal data center usage and operations, known as the Federal Data Center Enhancement Act (FDCEA), to expire
- According to a Gallup poll from May, more than 70 percent of Americans oppose the construction of data centers, the energy- and water-intensive buildings that power the AI boom, in their communities
- A replacement for the requirements laid out in FDCEA would, in other administrations, have been in the works for months ahead of its expiration
Summary
The US government is quietly planning to allow a rule outlining the standards for federal data center usage and operations, known as the Federal Data Center Enhancement Act (FDCEA), to expire, according to sources who spoke to WIRED. Data centers have become a hot-button issue in recent months, as the tech industry goes all in on artificial intelligence and the infrastructure needed to power it. Despite the public backlash, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the government agency that sets guidance for how agencies implement policies in line with the president’s agenda, is not providing any plans for how federal agencies should manage the sunset or continue to implement reporting beyond the timeline of the law. A replacement for the requirements laid out in FDCEA would, in other administrations, have been in the works for months ahead of its expiration.