The New Standard for Power: Why EPDs Are Moving from Optional to Expected

Sustainability in data centers is no longer just about how facilities operate. That part of the conversation is relatively mature. Efficiency metrics are well understood, and renewable energy strategies are widely in place. But that only tells part of the story. The bigger challenge sits in the supply chain.

For most operators, the majority of emissions come from Scope 3. That includes the materials and equipment that go into building and running infrastructure. It is difficult to measure, difficult to compare, and even harder to reduce with confidence.

At the same time, expectations are shifting. Operators, investors, and industry groups are asking for more than high-level commitments. They want product-level visibility into environmental impact. That is where Environmental Product Declarations are starting to play a role. Not as a trend, but as a practical way to bring consistency and transparency into how infrastructure is evaluated.

We explore this topic in more detail in the book Greener Data Volume III. The full chapter explores the EPD journey, including the challenges, the data, and the practical steps that can help move the industry forward. You can check out the full chapter by getting your copy of the book here, and keep reading for a summary.

From Sustainability Concept to Procurement Reality

Environmental Product Declarations have been part of the sustainability conversation for some time, but until recently, they sat more on the periphery. They were useful for reporting, helpful for certifications, and often treated as a signal of intent rather than a requirement. At their core, an EPD is a standardized, third-party verified document that outlines the environmental impact of a product across its lifecycle, giving buyers a consistent way to understand what they are actually procuring.

What has changed is where that information is now being used. EPDs are no longer confined to sustainability teams or post-project reporting. They are moving upstream into design conversations, procurement criteria, and supplier evaluations. Hyperscale operators and industry bodies are pushing for greater transparency, and that pressure is translating into real expectations for suppliers.

In practical terms, this means EPDs are starting to influence buying decisions. What was once considered a value-add is becoming part of the baseline for consideration, particularly in environments where accountability around embodied carbon and lifecycle impact is increasing.

The Challenge Beneath the Surface

If the direction of travel is clear, the path to get there is not always straightforward. EPDs are relatively well established for materials like concrete and steel, where supply chains are more standardized and data is easier to aggregate. Mission-critical equipment is a different story. These systems are made up of numerous components, often sourced from multiple suppliers, each with their own processes, materials, and levels of data availability. Bringing that into a single, verified lifecycle view is not simple.

There is also a structural challenge. In many cases, product-specific rules for how to assess and report environmental impact do not yet exist, which means manufacturers must navigate more general frameworks while maintaining consistency and credibility. On top of that, the process requires coordination across engineering, procurement, and sustainability teams, along with third-party verification. It is a significant investment of both time and resources, often taking well over a year to complete.

This is part of the reason adoption has lagged in this category. Not because the value is unclear, but because the process is complex. At the same time, that complexity is exactly what makes early progress meaningful. As expectations continue to rise, the ability to navigate that process is quickly becoming a differentiator.

Moving from Theory to Execution

For many manufacturers, EPDs are still something being discussed, explored, or planned. The gap between understanding their importance and actually developing one is where most of the friction sits. It requires alignment across teams, access to reliable data, and a willingness to invest in a process that does not always have a clear or immediate return.

That is what makes real-world implementation important. Rehlko’s decision to develop an Environmental Product Declaration for its mission-critical generator portfolio was not driven by ease, but by a recognition of where the industry is heading. As expectations around transparency and lifecycle impact continue to grow, waiting for perfect conditions is no longer a viable strategy.

What this work demonstrates is that the barriers are not insurmountable. It is possible to bring together the necessary data, align with recognized standards, and produce something that is both credible and useful. More importantly, it shows that once the process is underway, it begins to unlock value beyond the initial objective.

It’s Not About the Document

It is easy to think of an Environmental Product Declaration as an output. A report that gets published, shared, and referenced when needed. But the real value sits in everything that happens before and after that document exists.

Once lifecycle data is visible in a structured and comparable way, it starts to change the conversation. Materials are no longer just selected based on cost or performance, but on their contribution to overall impact. Design decisions can be evaluated with a clearer understanding of trade-offs. And areas that were previously difficult to quantify begin to come into focus.

That visibility does not stop at the product itself. It extends into the supply chain, creating a ripple effect where suppliers are asked for better data, greater transparency, and in some cases, their own lifecycle assessments. What begins as a single exercise can quickly influence how products are designed, how partnerships are formed, and how progress is measured over time.

What This Means for the Industry

What is happening with Environmental Product Declarations is not isolated to one part of the ecosystem. It is a shift that connects how infrastructure is designed, specified, and ultimately built. As more data becomes available at the product level, expectations start to align across stakeholders who have historically operated with different priorities and levels of visibility.

For manufacturers, it changes how products are developed and positioned in the market. For operators, it introduces a more consistent way to evaluate environmental impact alongside performance and reliability. And for the broader design and construction ecosystem, it creates a clearer link between individual equipment choices and whole-project outcomes.

The common thread is transparency. Not as an abstract goal, but as something that can be measured, compared, and acted on. As that becomes more embedded in decision-making, it has the potential to reshape not just reporting, but the way the industry approaches sustainability as a whole.

What Next?

Environmental Product Declarations are not the end goal. They are a starting point.

They bring structure to a problem that has historically been difficult to define, and they create a shared language for talking about impact across the supply chain. But on their own, they do not reduce emissions or redesign products. What they do is make those next steps possible, with a level of clarity that has not existed before.

That is what makes this moment important. The industry is moving from broad commitments to more precise accountability, and the expectations around transparency are only going to increase. For those already engaging with lifecycle data, that shift becomes an opportunity to lead. For those still on the sidelines, it is quickly becoming something that will need to be addressed.

Rehlko’s experience goes deeper than what is covered here, from the realities of building an EPD for mission-critical equipment to the insights it revealed and the changes it enabled. To learn more, check out the full chapter in the book.