Opinion: California voters should reject Proposition 45 to preserve environmental protections
A Sacramento Bee opinion article urges California voters to reject Proposition 45, arguing it would weaken environmental review for projects including data centers. The author says the measure could reduce community oversight and worsen water use, electricity cost, pollution and habitat risks.
The opinion piece argues that Proposition 45 would accelerate environmental reviews while eliminating important safeguards under the California Environmental Quality Act. It says the measure would apply to projects including data centers, warehouses and housing, and would make it harder for agencies to evaluate less harmful locations or enforce environmental protections.
The author links the proposal to growing concerns about data center development in California, including heavy water consumption and higher electricity bills. The article says data center developers and utilities such as PG&E support the measure, while more than 450 organizations oppose it. Bill Magavern, policy director of the Coalition for Clean Air, concludes that voters should reject Proposition 45.