This bill establishes specific requirements for water usage by data centers in Wyoming, aiming to regulate their consumptive use of water. It defines a "data center" and stipulates that any application for water use by such facilities must demonstrate that their water consumption for cooling does not exceed an average of 0.2 liters per kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed over a twelve-month period. Additionally, data centers are required to submit annual reports detailing their water usage, with penalties of up to $1,000 per day for non-compliance. The bill also allows the state engineer to impose restrictions or cancel permits if a data center exceeds the specified water usage limits.

Furthermore, the bill amends existing laws regarding water rights and permits to incorporate the new requirements for data centers. It specifies that any changes in water use or place of use must comply with the new regulations, ensuring that the quantity of water transferred does not exceed historical usage levels. The amendments also clarify that applications for water permits will be subject to the new data center regulations, and the effective date for these provisions is set for July 1, 2027.

Statutes affected:
27LSO-0235 v0.5: 41-3-104, 41-3-931, 41-3-932, 41-4-503