Unbiased AI-powered news
State lawmakers advance four measures on grid costs, CEQA reviews and consumption data after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2025 veto of an earlier water-reporting bill.
Los Angeles TimesFour bills regulating data centers advanced through the California Legislature this month, requiring corporate tariffs for grid upgrades, ending CEQA exemptions, and mandating water- and fuel-use disclosures. Sen. Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) introduced SB 886 to create a corporate tariff covering data-center-related grid-upgrade costs and SB 887 to prohibit ministerial CEQA exemptions for the facilities.
Both measures cleared the Senate without Republican support and moved to the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee. Assemblymember Diane Papan (D-San Mateo) authored AB 2619, which would require data-center owners to submit, under penalty of perjury, estimates of expected water usage and sources before applying for a business license.
Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) authored AB 1577, which would require monthly reporting of water and fuel consumption to a state commission.
Both bills passed the Assembly with limited Republican backing and await Senate action. Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed similar water-usage reporting legislation in October 2025, stating he was “reluctant to impose rigid reporting requirements” without understanding impacts on businesses and consumers.
A 950,000-square-foot data center proposed in Imperial County was exempted from CEQA review by the county. The city of Imperial sued earlier this year, arguing the exemption was improper; the San Diego Chapter of the Sierra Club joined the suit last month. Last week the Imperial County board of supervisors approved a 45-day moratorium on new data centers.
U.S. city to enact such a prohibition by public ballot. A Gallup poll released last month found seven out of ten Americans oppose data centers in their communities.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced last week that the Trump administration will not set national environmental requirements for the data-center industry. Cornell University researchers estimated last year that AI growth could add 24 to 44 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually by 2030.
Data centers have existed for decades but are expanding rapidly because of the worldwide boom in artificial intelligence; newer AI-focused facilities require large amounts of water and energy.
The facilities can create thousands of construction jobs and generate sales and property tax revenue for local governments. New York recently sent legislation to its governor’s desk that would enact a one-year moratorium on data centers.
foxnews.comIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a Jerusalem policy summit that two named operations destroyed Iran's nuclear infrastructure and killed 20 scientists. He also described strikes on missile and regime targets plus new security zones in Gaza, Syria and Lebanon.
The IndependentPresident Trump posted on Truth Social that Keir Starmer failed on immigration and energy policy and will resign. The statement came hours after Trump also criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
indiatoday.intoday.inThe prime minister is weighing whether to step down after a challenger won a by-election and party lawmakers demanded an exit plan. President Trump posted that the prime minister will resign over immigration and energy policy.