HR 5227 — Unleashing Low-Cost Rural AI Act

Summary

Requires the Secretary of Energy to designate a National Laboratory to conduct a study on the impact of artificial intelligence and data center site growth on energy supply resources in the United States.
Requires the study to address infrastructure needs, feasibility of alternative energy sources, and impacts on energy costs, supply, reliability, land use, and water use for AI and data center development.
Requires the study to examine deficiencies in energy supply resources and means to expedite permitting and environmental reviews for AI and data center sites.
Requires the Secretary of Energy to submit findings from the study to Congress within 180 days after enactment, with prioritization of impacts on remote areas.

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)

Rep. Costa, Jim (D-CA) [#21]

6 cosponsors

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Jim Costa’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

Employer not reported $25,300
CALIFORNIA STRATEGIES $13,900
FORHAN COMPANY $13,200
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY COLLEGE $11,300
CDM $7,300

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Jim Costa → · Outside spending →

Actions (2)

Sep 9, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. · house
Sep 9, 2025 Introduced in House

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

Text versions (1)

Introduced in House · Sep 9, 2025

Only one text version is on file, so there’s no earlier version to compare against yet.

Full text

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 9, 2025

Mr. Costa (for himself and Mr. Moore of Utah) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

A BILL

To conduct a study on the impact of artificial intelligence and data center site growth on energy supply resources in the United States, 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 “Unleashing Low-Cost Rural AI Act”.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DATA CENTER SITE GROWTH ON ENERGY SUPPLY RESOURCES.

(a) In General.—The Secretary of Energy shall designate a National Laboratory to conduct a study on the impact of artificial intelligence and data center site growth on energy supply resources in the United States.

(b) Contents.—The study under subsection (a) shall address the following:

(1) Whether any updates to existing infrastructure are necessary to support the co-location of artificial intelligence and data center site development.

(2) With respect to the co-location of artificial intelligence and data center sites, the feasability of using alternative sources of energy, such as hydroelectric dams, solar farms, wind farms, solar and wind battery storage sites, and carbon capture facilities, in addition to nuclear and geothermal sources of energy.

(3) The impact of the co-location of artificial intelligence and data center sites on energy costs, energy supply, energy supply reliability, land-use, water-use, and cost to consumers.

(4) Whether, and to what extent, there are deficiencies in energy supply resources.

(5) The means to expedite any review under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) or to more expeditiously meet any permitting requirements to develop any artificial intelligence or data center sites, and any associated generation, transmission, and distribution assets.

(c) Prioritization.—The study under subsection (a) shall prioritize the impact of artificial intelligence and data center site growth on energy supply resources in remote areas.

(d) Report.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the findings of the study conducted under subsection (a).

(e) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) Artificial intelligence.—The term “artificial intelligence” has the meaning given such term in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).

(2) Co-location.—The term “co-location” means, with respect to an artificial intelligence or data center site, placing such site upon a parcel of land that is owned and operated by a public utility.

(3) National laboratory.—The term “National Laboratory” has the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).

(4) Remote area.—The term “remote area” means an area for which the Economic Research Service of the Department of Agriculture has developed a frontier and remote area code. <all>

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