Liquid Cooling for AI Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator McCormick, David [R-PA]
In Committee
Summary
This bill would direct a government-wide technology assessment of liquid cooling for AI compute clusters and high-density data centers, to guide energy-efficient deployments and help sustain U.S. leadership in AI.
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- Federal planners and agencies would get a structured review. It would ask the Comptroller General to evaluate R&D needs, market and regulatory barriers, failure scenarios, and recommend whether the Federal Government should use or fund liquid cooling. It also calls for the Department of Energy to provide Congress with R&D priorities and guidance.
- Data center operators and hardware makers would see a technical comparison across cooling approaches. The report would compare single-phase, two-phase, direct-to-chip, and immersion cooling on thermal performance, safety, interoperability, lifecycle cost, and coolant options like water and engineered fluids.
- Energy and policy makers would get context on scale and savings. The act cites data centers used 4.4 percent of U.S. electricity in 2023 and projects 6.7 to 12.8 percent by 2028, and it would assess avoided energy costs and waste-heat reuse opportunities.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Federal review of data center cooling
If enacted, the bill would require the GAO to start a technical review of liquid cooling in data centers within 30 days and send a report within 90 days. The review would study coolant types, direct-to-chip and immersion approaches, energy and lifecycle costs, failure risks, cybersecurity, and waste heat reuse. The Secretary of Energy would get the GAO report and then must give Congress an assessment and R&D recommendations within 180 days after receiving the GAO report. The Secretary and Comptroller General would also set up an advisory committee of industry, lab, and academic experts to help prepare the review; that group would end when the Secretary submits the DOE report.
Clear definitions for liquid cooling
If enacted, the bill would add clear definitions for key terms like single‑phase and 2‑phase cooling, direct‑to‑chip and immersion cooling, heat‑reuse, AI, and National Laboratory. These definitions would guide how the GAO and DOE carry out the reviews and how agencies and industry interpret the findings.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
McCormick, David [R-PA]
PA • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
DE • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC]
NC • R
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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