AI Matters
Why it matters
California bills target data center energy and water transparency
The Verge AI Data centers are black boxes, but California wants to change that
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation requiring data centers to disclose more information about their electricity and water consumption.
Why it matters
Local communities will gain better visibility into how the massive data centers powering AI impact their utility bills and resources.
Latest brief · Oct 19, 2026