NJ A4096

Data center owners and operators in New Jersey must submit semi-annual water and energy usage reports to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) for a three-year period, with existing data centers reporting within 3 months and new facilities within 6 months of enactment.

Reports must include basic facility information, total energy consumption in kilowatt hours, water input in cubic meters, water sources (municipal, groundwater, surface water), on-site power supplies with permit details, and electric utility service agreements.

Data centers receiving state financial incentives must also report performance metrics including power usage effectiveness, water usage effectiveness, energy reuse factor, renewable energy factor, and sustainability indicators such as waste heat temperature and renewable energy consumption.

BPU must publish data center water and energy usage information on its website within 30 days of receiving reports, though performance and sustainability data remains confidential and can only be disclosed as anonymized, aggregated data from at least five facilities.

Operators must notify BPU at least 60 days before implementing any substantial operational or technology changes affecting reported information, and BPU may make the reporting requirement permanent through rulemaking after the initial three-year period.