Bill
Bill > A4096
NJ A4096
NJ A4096Requires data center owners and operators to submit semi-annual water and energy usage reports to BPU.
summary
Introduced
02/19/2026
02/19/2026
In Committee
02/19/2026
02/19/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill would require the owner or operator of a data center in the State to prepare and submit on a semi-annual basis, for a period of three years, a water and energy usage report to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) that contains the following information, at a minimum: (1) basic information relating to the data center; (2) information related to energy and water usage at the data center; and (3) any other information determined by the BPU to be necessary. If a data center receives a financial incentive from a State agency then the data center would also need to include the following information: (1) performance calculations and indicators for the data center, including the energy reuse factor, power usage effectiveness, renewable energy factor, and water usage effectiveness; and (2) sustainability indicators for the data center. Data centers that have been in operation for at least a year would be required to provide the report to the BPU within three months after the bill's enactment, and all other data centers would be required to provide the report to the BPU within six months after the bill's enactment. Within 30 days of receiving a water and energy usage report from the owner or operator of a data center pursuant to the bill's provisions, the BPU would be required to publish certain information about data center energy and water usage on its Internet website and update the information as necessary. The information submitted to the board would be confidential and not be subject to disclosure under P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.) or the common law right of access to a public record, except for information from at least five facilities that is anonymized and aggregated would be included in the report. An owner or operator of a data center that has submitted a water and energy usage report to the BPU pursuant to the bill's provisions would be required to notify the BPU of any substantial change in operations or technologies at the data center that would require an update to the information provided in the water and energy usage report at least 60 days prior to implementing the change in operations or technologies at the data center. Upon conclusion of the three-year reporting period, the BPU would be able to make the reporting requirement permanent through the adoption of rules and regulations.
AI Summary
This bill requires data center owners and operators to submit semi-annual reports on their water and energy usage to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) for three years. These reports must include basic information about the data center, details on its energy and water consumption, and any other information the BPU deems necessary. Data centers receiving financial incentives from the state will also need to report performance metrics like the energy reuse factor (how much waste heat is reused compared to total energy used), power usage effectiveness (total energy used versus energy used by IT equipment), renewable energy factor (renewable energy used versus total energy used), and water usage effectiveness (total water used versus total energy used by IT equipment), along with sustainability indicators. Existing data centers must submit their first report within three months of the bill's enactment, while newer ones have six months. The BPU will then publish aggregated, anonymized data from at least five facilities on its website within 30 days of receiving reports, with all submitted information kept confidential except for this public summary. Data centers must also notify the BPU at least 60 days before making significant operational or technological changes that would affect their reported usage. After the initial three-year period, the BPU can make these reporting requirements permanent by adopting new rules.
Committee Categories
Transportation and Infrastructure
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee (on 02/19/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/A4096 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/A4500/4096_I1.HTM |
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