Sec. 3. Study and report on the effect of data centers on communities of color and low-income communities
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The Secretary of Energy, in coordination with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of Commerce, the Chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Council on Environmental Quality, shall conduct a study on the effect of data centers on communities of color and low-income communities. The study required by subsection
(a)shall include the following information: The amount of water consumed by data centers, including how such consumption affects local water supplies and drought-prone regions. The amount of energy consumed by data centers, including the amount of such energy generated from fossil fuels and the effect of such consumption on peak load on the electric grid. How such data centers affect air quality, including the amount of emissions from backup diesel generators and associated infrastructure operated by data centers. The effect of data centers on soil and land-use practices, including land-use practices relating to agriculture and local food sources. The effect of data centers on the electric grid, including with respect to any increase in rates for electricity. How the cooling processes used by data centers affect wastewater systems. The effects of constructing and operating data centers on the creation and displacement of jobs. The effects of data centers on State and local tax revenue, including with respect to tax incentives and whether benefits flow to the community in which the data center is located. The effects of data centers on the value of property located in nearby residential areas. How data centers affect public health risks related to pollution, stress on natural resources, summer heat, and heat island effects. In conducting the study required by subsection (a), the Secretary of Energy shall consult with relevant local government entities and Indian Tribes. Not later than the date that is 18 months after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary of Energy shall provide to Congress a report that includes— an assessment of the information included in the study required by subsection (a); a map that identifies where data centers are located relative to communities of color and low-income communities; recommendations for Federal coordination on how to mitigate potential harms of data centers; and proposed guidelines or recommendations for best practices that States and local government entities may adopt to mitigate potential harms of data centers.