U.S. Senate Democrats Propose Clean Cloud Act Targeting Emissions

According to Odaily, U.S. Senate Democrats have introduced the Clean Cloud Act, a draft bill aimed at imposing fees on data centers supporting blockchain networks and artificial intelligence models that exceed federal emission targets. The proposed legislation mandates the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish emission standards for data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities with IT nameplate power exceeding 100 KW, aiming for an annual 11% reduction in emissions. Facilities exceeding the limits would face a penalty of $20 per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent, with the fine increasing by $10 annually due to inflation. Notably, Bitcoin mining companies such as Galaxy, CoreScientific, and Terawulf are increasingly shifting towards providing high-performance computing power for AI models. The bill has yet to be passed by the Senate.