Senate Democrats propose the Clean Cloud Act to regulate emissions from crypto and AI data centers.
The bill mandates 100% renewable energy use by 2035, with annual emission cap reductions of 11%.
Senate Democrats have introduced the Clean Cloud Act of 2025, targeting carbon emissions from cryptocurrency mining facilities and AI data centers. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and John Fetterman presented the bill to amend the Clean Air Act and address rising energy demand.
The bill proposes regional emission caps for facilities using over 100 kilowatts of electricity. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would establish these caps based on the Department of Energy’s National Transmission Needs Study. These caps would decrease by 11% annually and reach zero by 2035.
Facilities that exceed emission caps must pay inflation-adjusted fines. The fines will start at $20 per ton of CO2 equivalent, increasing yearly by inflation and an additional $10. Companies cannot pass these costs to consumers.
Collected funds will go to municipalities to offset residential electricity price increases and support clean energy development. Additionally, the bill requires detailed annual reports on energy usage and sourcing. This allows the EPA to calculate each facility’s greenhouse gas emission intensity.
Emissions Surge and Political Clash
The Clean Cloud Act emphasizes that while crypto and AI can support renewable energy, they currently increase fossil fuel use. According to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, this also drives up household power costs. The committee stated the bill ensures profitable industries pay for their environmental impact.
According to Bloomberg, electricity demand from these sectors may rise to 12% of the U.S. total by 2028. Morgan Stanley projects that data centers could emit 2.5 billion metric tons of CO2 globally by 2030. These rising numbers have pushed lawmakers to act.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump opposes the bill. He has called for the U.S. to become the world leader in both Bitcoin mining and AI. His sons also plan to take their own Bitcoin mining firm public, adding political tension to the bill’s prospects. The bill is still in draft form and awaits debate in the Senate.
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