Tech and environmental groups negotiate US data center rules

The Responsible Data Center Collaborative, a coalition of technology companies and environmental groups, is negotiating a national framework for data centers, according to AFP. Members began meeting in September and plan to continue through February 2027.

The coalition includes Google, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, Amazon, Nvidia and Anthropic. Environmental participants include the Natural Resources Defense Council, World Wildlife Fund and Sierra Club, while the Rockefeller Foundation and Invest in Our Future support the talks.

The group is discussing guidelines for energy, infrastructure, water, natural resources, community engagement, economic value, transparency, accountability and implementation. The meetings operate under Chatham House rules, which means conversations stay in the room and lessons can be shared without attribution.

Data centers have angered communities across the United States over power plants that have driven up electric rates, noise and municipal water use, AFP notes.