Data centers are guzzling California's water. We have no idea how much (CalMatters, 5/16/26)

[highplainsdem]

CalMatters describes itself as "the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians."

https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2026/05/california-data-centers-water-transparency/

Data center builders don’t tell the public how much water they use, according to a new report — and the industry is encroaching into water-stressed and vulnerable communities.

The report, by the think tank Next10 and researchers at Santa Clara University, finds that planned data centers — the ganglia of artificial intelligence — are spreading to regions reliant on overtapped groundwater and strained surface water, with potentially major effects in the Central and Imperial Valleys.

But, reinforcing previous studies, the researchers found that a patchwork of state, federal and local policies allow data center operators to avoid publicly disclosing their actual water use.

California lawmakers tried to address this last year, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the measure. Now, the Legislature is trying again, with bills mandating disclosures about water use and planning.

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Much more at that link, including why Newsom said he vetoed last year's bill, which can also be found here:

https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab93

This bill requires data centers, when applying for an initial business license, to provide to their water supplier an estimate of expected water use. It further requires data centers, when applying for a renewal of a business license, to provide their water supplier with a report on annual water use.

The widespread adoption of artificial intelligence technologies is driving an unprecedented demand for data center capacity throughout the nation. As the global epicenter of the technology sector, California is well positioned to support the development of this critically important digital infrastructure in the state.

While I appreciate the author's intent, I am reluctant to impose rigid reporting requirements about operational details on this sector without understanding the full impact on businesses and the consumers of their technology.