§2921 Energy efficiency targets for data centers

Summary

The Secretary of Defense must set goals and rules to make Department of Defense data centers use less energy and water and be more resilient. For each "covered data center" the Secretary must create a power-usage goal, a water-usage goal, other energy or water efficiency goals as needed, and identify possible renewable or clean energy options (including things like advanced battery storage) and possible purchase targets based on location. The Secretary must also point out any laws, rules, or policies that would block meeting those goals, and make sure the goals fit guidance from the Secretary of Energy. A "covered data center" is a DOD data center that is one of the 50 data centers with the highest annual power use and that was established before the date of the enactment of this section. For any DOD data center set up on or after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary must put in place energy, water use, and resiliency standards based on location, resiliency needs, industry and Federal standards, and best practices. Those standards must include power-usage effectiveness and water-usage effectiveness and any other energy or resiliency standards the Secretary finds appropriate. The Secretary can waive these standards only if doing so is in the national security interest and the Secretary sends the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives a notice explaining the waiver and the reasons for it.