Advocates say Prop 45 could fast track data center projects
California voters will decide on Prop 45, which supporters and opponents say could speed data center construction by bypassing certain environmental review requirements. Environmental and community groups oppose the measure, warning that it could increase water and electricity impacts while limiting public scrutiny and potentially overriding local moratoriums.
California voters are set to decide on Prop 45 in November. The measure could exempt certain projects, including data centers, from some environmental approval requirements and supersede existing laws that require such reviews, potentially accelerating construction with less opportunity for public input.
At a press conference, opponents including No on Prop 45 spokesperson Woody Little and Jennifer Ganata of Communities for a Better Environment argued that the measure would expose marginalized and low-income communities to greater industrial impacts. Little said utility companies PG&E, Southern California Edison and Sempra, along with data center developer Prologis, have contributed more than $10 million to support the measure. The article notes that Bay Area cities and counties, including Hayward, Oakland and San Francisco, have enacted or are considering data center moratoriums that legal experts believe Prop 45 could supersede.