GoKawiilNewsom signs seven California laws requiring data center disclosures on power, water use
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed seven bills requiring data center operators to disclose electricity and water consumption details starting next year. The legislation also directs the California Public Utilities Commission to create separate electricity rates for data centers so their grid connection costs aren't passed on to other ratepayers, and pushes facilities toward greater renewable energy use.
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Researchers and advocacy groups like the Union of Concerned Scientists say the lack of public data has made it nearly impossible to verify whether data centers are straining grids, driving up bills, or depleting local water supplies. The new rules could give regulators and communities concrete evidence to weigh against industry claims about efficiency and sustainability, potentially shaping how other states respond to similar data center growth.
- Seven bills signed by Newsom require data center operators to disclose energy and water usage starting next year.
- Separate utility rate structures aim to stop data centers from shifting grid infrastructure costs onto other customers.
- Advocates say the disclosures could finally allow independent verification of data centers' true resource impact.
Source: theverge.com — Justine Calma, 2026-09-23
Published there as: “Data centers are black boxes, but California wants to change that”
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