Guiding the data center industry through accelerating development and environmental complexity.
Beveridge & Diamond advises on environmental, project development and construction, energy procurement and efficiency, related operational and sustainability matters, and occupational health and safety issues relevant to the data center industry. Our deep bench of attorneys across subject areas helps clients navigate the rapidly evolving regulatory and sustainability landscape, both in the United States and internationally. We support clients across every stage of the data center lifecycle, from site selection and permitting to operations, compliance, enforcement defense, decommissioning, and litigation.
Our work for data centers spans an array of critical environmental concerns, including:
- Project Development: Advising on due diligence, land use, and permitting reviews for new data center development and expansion
- Energy & Climate: Counseling on renewable energy procurement, battery storage, energy efficiency (facility and hardware), and green cloud computing initiatives, including EPEAT-compliant procurement
- Air Emissions & Permitting: Advising on compliance and permitting under federal and state air regulations for backup generators and facility cooling systems
- Water Use & Rights: Addressing water access, reuse, and discharge permitting
- Wildlife & Natural Resources: Supporting compliance with laws protecting wetlands and endangered species and managing habitat impacts from development
- Occupational Health & Safety: Assisting with OSHA and state law obligations, such as indoor air quality, electrical safety, and emergency response
- Hardware Compliance & Market Access: Advising on IT hardware compliance and homologation to enable global expansion, including during hardware design, manufacturing, certification, and distribution
- Circularity & Waste Management: Providing guidance on circular design, managing and transporting used electronic equipment for refurbishment, e-waste management, recycling practices, and sustainable decommissioning
- Sustainability & ESG Reporting: Advising on disclosures related to environmental performance and assisting with corporate sustainability goals
- Enforcement, Investigations, & Risk Management: Representing clients in proactive environmental health and safety audits and internal investigations, as well as in response to government enforcement actions
- Transactions: Evaluating environmental risks in acquisitions, leases, and divestitures, and supporting due diligence processes
- Partnerships: Working with government and municipal partners—such as the Department of Defense, state and local governments, and regional electric and water utilities—on data center development
- Litigation: Litigating environmental and natural resources law issues
Our comprehensive understanding of the data center sector’s unique operational and environmental demands informs our work. We help clients assess and mitigate risks across geographic portfolios and rapidly shifting policy environments. Whether optimizing for energy reliability, managing emissions, or ensuring biodiversity protection, we help data centers ensure environmental compliance while maintaining availability and meeting customer requirements and sustainability goals.
Serving the Broader Data Center Ecosystem
B&D also advises companies that broadly support and supply the data center industry. Our clients include:
- Power Providers & Renewable Energy Developers: Helping utilities and energy companies navigate permitting and compliance for grid infrastructure, renewable generation, and battery storage projects
- Equipment Manufacturers & Suppliers: Counseling on product-related regulations, including material and chemical restrictions, design, energy efficiency, safety, extended producer responsibility, e-waste management, and supply chain sustainability
- Construction & Engineering Firms: Providing environmental risk analysis, permitting strategies, and compliance support during site development and retrofitting of facilities
- Technology & Hardware Vendors: Advising server, cooling system, and power supply manufacturers on indoor air quality, energy standards, and hazardous material restrictions
This cross-sector work strengthens our ability to anticipate regulatory trends and develop coordinated, forward-looking strategies for the entire data center value chain.
