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Defending Our Energy and Water Act
To amend title 10, United States Code, to incorporate requirements for data centers for the protection of water resources, and for other purposes.
Summary
- Requires the Administrator of the Office of Electronic Government to revise minimum data center requirements within 180 days to include protections for water resources, including use of the most water efficient cooling systems.
- Extends the sunset date for data center requirements from 2026 to 2031.
- Requires federal data centers to identify and integrate water efficiency technologies to enhance resiliency and minimize the effects of data center operations on water resources.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
1 cosponsor
Actions (2)
- Jul 30, 2026 Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. · house
- Jul 30, 2026 Introduced in House
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 30, 2026
Ms. Scholten (for herself and Mr. Subramanyam) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend title 10, United States Code, to incorporate requirements for data centers for the protection of water resources, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Defending Our Energy and Water Act”.
SEC. 2. DATA CENTER REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROTECTION OF WATER RESOURCES.
(a) Minimum Requirements for New Data Centers.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Office of Electronic Government shall revise the minimum requirements for new data centers established pursuant to section 834(b) of the Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291; 44 U.S.C. 3601 note) to include requirements relating to protections for water resources at such data centers, including the use of the most water efficient cooling systems.
(2) Extension of sunset.—Section 834(e) of the Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291; 44 U.S.C. 3601 note) is amended by striking “2026” and inserting “2031”.
(b) Energy Efficiency Targets for Data Centers.—Section 2921(a)(1) of title 10, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (D), by striking “and” at the end;
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (F); and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:
“(E) identify and integrate potential water efficiency technologies to enhance resiliency at the data center and minimize the effects of the data center operation on water resources; and”. <all>
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