Technical Stakeholder Memo

Community Data Benefit Act

Prepared by: Floyd Taylor – Independent Candidate, IN‑09

Purpose

To align the rapid growth of AI and data center infrastructure with measurable community benefits, enforceable energy efficiency standards, and transparent public reporting — ensuring that host communities see tangible returns in jobs, infrastructure, and environmental stewardship.

Background

• Economic Context: AI workloads and hyperscale data centers are expanding rapidly, often locating in rural or semi‑urban areas.
• Community Concerns: High energy and water consumption, grid strain, limited local hiring, and minimal reinvestment.
• Policy Gap: Existing incentives focus on attraction, not long‑term benefit or transparency.
• Sponsor Qualifications: 25+ years in mission‑critical IT, manufacturing, and public‑sector systems; Top Secret clearance holder; experienced in uptime reporting, disaster recovery, and compliance auditing.

Key Provisions & Compliance Requirements

1. Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs)
   • Mandatory for incentives or fast‑track permitting.
   • ≥ 30% construction and ≥ 40% permanent staff from host county.
   • Workforce training partnerships with local institutions.
   • ≥ 0.5% gross revenue annually to a local community fund.
2. Energy Efficiency & Renewable Integration
   • PUE ≤ 1.4 within 3 years; “Gold Tier” ≤ 1.2 at launch.
   • ≥ 50% renewable within 5 years; ≥ 80% within 10 years.
   • Waste‑heat recovery where feasible.
   • On‑site energy storage to offset peak‑load spikes.
3. Infrastructure & Public Services Support
   • Proportional contributions to roads, fiber, substations.
   • Broadband spillover to local ISPs at cost.
   • Emergency services funding proportionate to facility risk.
4. Transparency & Public Dashboards
   • Quarterly updates on energy, hiring, investment, environmental metrics.
   • Auditable by the Department of Commerce.
5. Incentives
   • 5% tax credit for exceeding benchmarks by ≥ 10%.
   • Fast‑track permitting for “Gold Tier” projects.
   • Grant eligibility for R&D in AI cooling, storage, and integration.
6. Enforcement
   • Fines up to $50,000/day for willful violations.
   • Loss of incentives and public non‑compliance flag.
   • Federal court enforceability of CBAs.

Stakeholder Benefits

• Local Governments: Guaranteed jobs, infrastructure upgrades, and annual investment funds.
• Industry Operators: Predictable permitting and incentives; improved public perception.
• Utilities: Coordinated grid planning; reduced peak strain; renewable integration.
• Workforce Boards: Funded training pipelines into high‑paying tech jobs.
• Environmental Advocates: Enforceable efficiency and renewable targets; waste‑heat reuse.

Implementation Timeline

1. 0–6 Months: Rulemaking, CBA template, dashboard standards.
2. 6–18 Months: First projects under new standards; initial audits.
3. Year 3: PUE compliance check; renewable progress review.
4. Year 5: Mid‑term evaluation; adjust benchmarks as needed.