Thermal Energy Networks reuse data center waste heat for communities

Author Aastha Singh presents an analysis promoting Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) to capture and reuse waste heat from data centers across U.S. communities.

• Main proposal: The article urges adoption of Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) and district heating to capture waste heat from data center cooling and deliver it to nearby buildings; it cites concrete examples (Stockholm, Mäntsälä, Tallaght, Equinix PA10 in Paris) and quantifies benefits such as avoiding construction of 54 new power plants and $22.1 billion in building-cost savings.
• Policy and implementation details: It documents current policy moves (Virginia HB323 as the first U.S. waste-heat reuse bill), federal legislative activity (S.4213 Data Center Water and Energy Transparency Act introduced March 2026), and recommends actions including DOE pilot grants, expedited permitting, and energy/resource-intensity standards for data centers.