Title page 1

Contents 3

Summary 2

Introduction 4

What is a data center? 4

What do data centers look like? 5

How have data centers been defined in federal law and guidance? 5

What are the energy requirements of data centers? 6

Why are data centers energy-intensive? 6

What equipment uses energy in a data center? 8

What contributes to the need for cooling in data centers? 9

How are data centers typically cooled? 10

What are some additional data center cooling strategies? 11

What are some potential concerns about water consumption by data centers? 11

Which, if any, federal regulations cover the energy consumption of data centers? 12

How do data centers affect electricity prices? 13

How can policymakers address electricity affordability concerns? 14

Are there reports on the actual energy use of U.S. data centers? 15

What statutory and administrative procedures apply to information collection in general? 16

When collecting information about energy, what are specific considerations? 18

Author Information 20

Acknowledgments 20

Disclaimer 20

Figure 1. Notional Power Draws of IT Equipment and Infrastructure 9