State senator says new data center laws will protect consumers

Published September 21, 2026 at 3:06 PM PDT Kori Suzuki for KPBS / California Local Farmland in the Imperial Valley is pictured during a flyover with EcoFlight and the Audubon Salton Sea Program on February 15, 2024. Gov.

Gavin Newsom signed two laws Monday that feature "some of the strongest ratepayer protections and environmental protections from data center costs in the country," according to the San Diego- area senator who sponsored them.Sen. Steve Padilla, D-San Diego, introduced Senate Bills 886 and 887 and said the laws will ensure data centers pay all required transmission infrastructure upgrade costs for connection to the power grid, cover all generation costs and be responsible for a larger share of wildfire mitigation and liability costs than what facility operators currently pay.According to Padilla, the Senate voted 28 to 10 in favor of SB 886, while the Assembly passed it 62 to 7.

First reported by KPBS.