# Lawmakers Urge EPA to Regulate Data Center Emissions

On November 9, 2026, Senator Raphael Warnock and Representative Hank Johnson asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to monitor and regulate emissions from diesel generators used at data centers, citing potential health and air-quality risks and limited federal oversight. They requested an EPA briefing by November 19, 2026, 10 days away. The request is not itself a new regulation, but any resulting agency action could affect data center development, operations, permitting, and related procurement.

- Data center developers and operators can assess how generator emissions monitoring and controls factor into project planning and permitting, while recognizing that no new requirement is established by this request.
- Contractors supplying backup power, emissions controls, monitoring systems, or environmental services may face changing demand if EPA pursues additional oversight.
- The requested briefing deadline is November 19, 2026; it gives stakeholders a near-term point at which EPA may respond to the lawmakers’ request.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Environment, Information Technology
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** November 09, 2026

### Government Entities
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- U.S. Senate
- U.S. House of Representatives

### Vendors
- OpenAI (Proposed data center developer)

### Sources
- [Warnock, Johnson Press EPA to Regulate and Monitor Harmful Pollutants Emitted by Data Centers » Reverend Raphael Warnock](https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warnock-johnson-press-epa-to-regulate-and-monitor-harmful-pollutants-emitted-by-data-centers/) - Warnock Senate