# Clean Cloud Act of 2025 - Plain Language Summary

## What This Bill Does

The Clean Cloud Act of 2025 targets the environmental impact of data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations by requiring them to report detailed information about their electricity consumption and energy sources. The bill amends the Clean Air Act to establish new tracking and transparency requirements for facilities using more than 100 kilowatts of computing power. Specifically, it requires these facilities to report annually to the EPA and the Energy Information Administration about how much electricity they use, where that power comes from (coal, natural gas, solar, wind, nuclear, etc.), and details about any power purchase agreements they have.

## Who Is Affected

The bill directly impacts owners and operators of large data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities across the United States. Electric utility companies that serve these facilities would also be required to provide energy source information. The bill is motivated by concerns that cryptocurrency mining operations are increasingly using power from retired coal and fossil fuel plants, and that data centers' electricity demand is growing rapidly—projected to jump from 4% of U.S. electricity use today to 12% by 2028.

## Key Provisions

- **Mandatory reporting**: Facilities with over 100 kilowatts of computing power must annually disclose electricity consumption and energy sources
- **Transparency focus**: The bill emphasizes collecting data on whether facilities use renewable energy, fossil fuels, or nuclear power
- **Scope**: Covers both private and federally-owned data centers, plus all cryptocurrency mining operations
- **No immediate restrictions**: This bill focuses on data collection and transparency rather than imposing emissions limits or bans

Clean Cloud Act of 2025

Whitehouse, Sheldon

Clean Cloud Act of 2025This bill establishes an emissions standard and fee system regarding the electricity used by data centers or&nbsp;cryptomining facilities that exceed a specified size.&nbsp;Additionally, the bill appropriates collected fees for various purposes, including to fund zero-carbon electricity generation, long-duration energy storage, and grants to lower residential electricity consumer costs.The bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Energy Information Administration to annually determine the greenhouse gas emission intensity of the total annual electricity consumed by (1) covered facilities from the electric grid,&nbsp;and (2) covered facilities from electricity generation assets located&nbsp;behind the power meter of the facilities.The EPA must determine and publish the greenhouse gas emissions intensities of the electric grid of each region to establish a baseline for the assessment of fees. Each calendar year from 2027 through 2034, the baseline for each region is reduced by 11% of the original&nbsp;baseline. For 2035 and after, the baseline is set to zero emissions.The EPA must assess a fee on (1) owners of any electric utility providing power to a covered facility that exceeds the baseline emissions in that region for that year, and (2) covered facilities with respect to the greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation assets located behind the power meter of the facility above the baseline of the region for that year. The electric utilities may not recoup the cost of the fee by raising rates or assessing fees on customers that are not covered facilities.