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Committee reviews data‑center draft; members flag EPA‑tied water standards and ‘bring‑your‑own’ issues
Summary
Lawmakers walked through a draft data‑center bill and told staff they will seek stakeholder input from environment and industry groups. Members raised concerns about relying on EPA standards for water and about whether "bring‑your‑own" generation will emerge in Senate amendments; they scheduled further testimony before an expected vote later in the week.
The House Energy & Digital Infrastructure committee examined a draft data‑center bill (1.2) on March 11 and asked staff to solicit additional stakeholder feedback before a planned committee vote later in the week.
Committee leadership said the environment committee was reviewing the bill’s water provisions and that lawmakers intended to hear environment and water experts that afternoon. Members repeatedly flagged reliance on EPA water standards in the current draft and asked whether the bill should specify stricter or different standards; staff agreed to follow up with water experts.
Members also discussed 'bring‑your‑own' generation—private generators that could supply a data center—and noted the topic is not required by the present draft but may surface in the Senate. The committee emphasized that contracts, PUC approval and scheduled maintenance provisions provide multiple oversight touchpoints; lawmakers asked staff to make sure the bill’s demand‑side management requirements include clear examples (storage, curtailment or onsite generation) so obligations are enforceable and reviewable.
Permits, decommissioning and timing: legislators noted that several permits referenced in the draft will not be available until later in the year; witnesses warned data‑center projects would have to wait if permit windows are not open. On decommissioning, members favored a public, case‑by‑case process rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all regime.
Next steps: the chair said the committee planned further testimony that afternoon, possibly including data‑center developers, and expected to vote the bill out by Friday. Members were told the bill will be tracked closely in the Senate, where language may change.
