In Other News · United States

Source: Axios

Lawmakers are considering forcing data centers to shoulder new costs and restrictions while speeding up the energy infrastructure needed to power the AI boom.Why it matters: The bipartisan legislation, unveiled last week, represents the most aggressive response yet from Washington to data centers amid growing backlash over their energy and environmental impacts.Driving the news: The provisions are part of broader Senate legislation aimed at speeding up permitting for energy — but make no mistake: The data-center measures are significant and would go far beyond Washington's largely voluntary efforts to date.The bill's sponsors say it would accelerate energy development while ensuring data centers pay their share of grid upgrades."I don't think we've seen it before," said Ari Peskoe, director of the Electricity Law Initiative at Harvard Law School, about the proposed additional costs and restrictions."But I don't think we've seen growth that's comparable to data centers today, and I certainly don't know any industry whose electricity usage has captured so much political attention."Between the lines: For tech companies, the bill cuts both ways. Congress would make it easier to build the energy infrastructure they need while erecting a sweeping framework aimed at keeping other electricity customers from footing the bill."Just to...