US Senate Democrats Push “Clean Cloud Act” to Cut Crypto Mining and Data Center Emissions by 2035

U.S. Senate Democrats Sheldon Whitehouse and John Fetterman have proposed the “Clean Cloud Act of 2025,” a bold new bill aimed at slashing emissions from cryptocurrency mining and AI-powered data centers.

Unveiled on April 11, the bill calls for strict annual emissions caps, mandates transparency in energy reporting, and imposes fines on facilities using non-renewable energy—especially those exceeding caps starting this year. The goal: net-zero emissions by 2035.

Facilities consuming over 100 kilowatts of power must report their energy use, emission intensity, and power sources annually. The legislation, amending the existing Clean Air Act, targets both environmental impact and the rising burden of electricity costs on American households.

According to congressional estimates, data centers currently account for 4% of U.S. electricity use and could rise to 12% by 2028. Bitcoin mining alone saw a 739% surge in total network hash rate in the U.S. from 2020 to 2022.

Under the bill, penalties collected from violators would fund grants to offset rising residential energy bills.

While environmental advocates praise the move, the bill is expected to face Republican opposition. Former President Donald Trump has voiced support for U.S.-based crypto mining and has family members involved in major crypto ventures, such as the newly launched American Bitcoin Corp, backed by Eric and Donald Trump Jr.