---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 2921"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "2921"
heading: "Energy efficiency targets for data centers"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/2921"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part IV — Service, Supply, and Property"
  - "Chapter 173 — Energy Security"
  - "Subchapter I — Energy Security Activities"
---

# §2921. Energy efficiency targets for data centers

- (a) **Covered Data Centers.—**
  - (1) For each covered data center, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall—
    - (A) develop a power usage effectiveness target for the data center, based on location, resiliency, industry [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3), and best practices;
    - (B) develop a water usage effectiveness target for the data center, based on location, resiliency, industry [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3), and best practices;
    - (C) develop other energy efficiency or water usage targets for the data center based on industry [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) and best practices, as applicable to meet energy efficiency and resiliency goals;
    - (D) identify potential renewable or clean energy resources, or related technologies such as advanced battery storage capacity, to enhance resiliency at the data center, including potential renewable or clean energy purchase targets based on the location of the data center; and
    - (E) identify any statutory, regulatory, or policy barriers to meeting any target under any of subparagraphs [(A)](#a-1-A) through [(C)](#a-1-C).
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall ensure that targets developed under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) are consistent with guidance issued by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy.
  - (3) In this subsection, the term “covered data center” means a data center of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense that—
    - (A) is one of the 50 data centers of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) with the highest annual power usage [rates](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-9); and
    - (B) has been established before the date of the enactment of this section.
- (b) **New Data Centers.—**
  - (1) Except as provided in [paragraph (2)](#b-2), in the case of any [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense data center established on or after the date of the enactment of this section, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall establish energy, water usage, and resiliency-related [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) that the data center shall be required to meet based on location, resiliency, industry and Federal [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3), and best practices. Such [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) shall include—
    - (A) power usage effectiveness [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3);
    - (B) water usage effectiveness [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3); and
    - (C) any other energy or resiliency [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) determines are appropriate.
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) may waive the requirement for a [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) data center established on or after the date of the enactment of this section to meet the [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) established under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) if the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3)—
    - (A) determines that such waiver is in the [national security](/usc/10/801.md?p=16) interest of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1); and
    - (B) submits to the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives notice of such waiver and the reasons for such waiver.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title III, § 312(a)(1), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1627.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The date of the enactment of this section, referred to in subsecs. (a)(3)(B) and (b), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 117–81, which was approved Dec. 27, 2021.