This bill establishes specific regulations for data centers, defined as facilities with a projected or actual electric demand of fifty megawatts (50 MW) or greater. It introduces a new section in Chapter 39-1 of the General Laws, which mandates that any costs reasonably attributable to the planning, construction, expansion, operation, or maintenance of electric generation, transmission, or distribution facilities necessary to serve a data center must be borne exclusively by that data center. The bill prohibits the recovery of these costs from residential customers or from commercial customers that are not data centers. The Public Utilities Commission is tasked with creating dedicated rate classes, tariffs, contracts, or other cost recovery mechanisms applicable to data centers to ensure compliance with these requirements.

Additionally, the bill adds a new chapter to Title 46 regarding water use disclosure for data centers. Each data center is required to submit an annual report to the Department of Environmental Management detailing their water usage, including average daily water withdrawal, peak daily water withdrawal, cooling technologies utilized, and water recycling or reuse practices. The Department may also require data centers to submit a water efficiency, conservation, or recycling plan as a condition of any permit issued under this title. Furthermore, the director of the Department may require financial assurance to ensure site restoration in the event of abandonment or cessation of operations. The bill aims to ensure that data centers are accountable for their utility impacts while promoting responsible water use practices.

Statutes affected:
2776: 42-98-7