New California law requires environmental analysis before data centers can be built
By Kori Suzuki / South Bay and Imperial Valley Reporter Published September 22, 2026 at 1:25 PM PDT California will require all new data cen
By Kori Suzuki / South Bay and Imperial Valley Reporter Published September 22, 2026 at 1:25 PM PDT California will require all new data center projects to disclose their potential environmental impacts and find ways to mitigate them under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.Senate Bill 887 was part of a slate of new regulations Newsom approved Monday targeting California’s data center industry.
The governor signed a total of seven bills, including ones mandating that data centers pay for their electrical infrastructure and chip in to help prevent wildfires. Newsom called the legislative package “the most comprehensive data center protections in America.”SB 887 was spurred in part by community opposition to plans for a giant data center complex in the Imperial Valley.
First reported by KPBS.
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