NEW YORK - The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is launching pilot surveys to measure energy consumption by data centers, amid rapid expansion fueled by artificial intelligence.
Silicon Valley’s massive investments in data infrastructure have triggered public concern over rising electricity costs and grid strain. Tech firms are increasingly exploring nuclear, natural gas, and even coal to meet soaring power demands.
"It really is a data exploration exercise to figure out what exactly is going on in this very important part of the economy that we don't have a lot of visibility into," said EIA Administrator Tristan Abbey at the CERAWeek conference in Houston.
The initial phase targets Virginia-home to the world’s densest cluster of data centers-along with Texas and Washington State. Early questions focus on backup power systems and fuel types.
Abbey, who assumed leadership in September, emphasized a cautious, phased rollout. This approach follows the EIA’s halted 2024 cryptocurrency mining survey, which faced legal challenges over privacy and procedural concerns.
The agency aims to eventually compile a comprehensive national dataset to inform energy policy and infrastructure planning.