California lawmaker vows to protect consumers, scrutinize data centers’ energy use
News ClipSacramento Bee·CA·3/19/2026
California Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan introduced AB 1577, the Data Center Accountability Act, to mandate energy use disclosure from data centers to the California Energy Commission, aiming to prevent consumer subsidization of energy costs. This bill follows a previous attempt by Assemblymember Diane Papan (AB 93) to require water use reporting, which Governor Newsom vetoed. Lawmakers are consistently trying to regulate data centers' environmental impact amidst their rapid growth.
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Gov: California State Assembly, California Energy Commission, U.S. Department of Energy, President Donald Trump, Governor Gavin Newsom, California Coastkeeper Alliance, United Nations
California Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan introduced Assembly Bill 1577, dubbed the Data Center Accountability Act, in January. The proposed legislation aims to require data centers operating in California to disclose their energy consumption to the California Energy Commission, mirroring reporting standards used in the European Union. Bauer-Kahan, a Democrat representing Orinda, emphasized during a Progressive Caucus news conference that the bill seeks to ensure transparency in energy use, preventing everyday Californians from subsidizing the energy costs of profitable data center companies.
This legislative effort comes as the U.S. Department of Energy reported data centers consumed approximately 4.4% of the nation's electricity in 2023, with projections indicating a rise to between 6.7% and 12% by 2028. Bauer-Kahan highlighted that energy regulators often lack crucial information regarding the location and operational efficiency of these facilities, despite their