At the United Nations climate summit in Brazil, Gov. Gavin Newsom emphasized California’s role as the world’s fourth-largest economy and touted the state’s leadership in artificial intelligence, saying the state “dominates” in AI while stressing that he is “deeply mindful” of the energy and water implications of technological innovation and entrepreneurial growth.But his record tells a more complicated story when it comes to addressing the environmental effects of AI expansion.Just last month, Assembly Bill 93, which would have required data centers to report both projected and actual annual water use to their local water suppliers, was passed by the Legislature but vetoed by Newsom, who at the time said he was “reluctant to impose rigid reporting requirements about operational details ... without understanding the full impact on the businesses and the consumers of their technology.”Sean Bothwell, executive director of California Coastkeeper Alliance, who worked closely with Assemblymember Diane Papan, D–San Mateo, on drafting the bill, said he was “incredibly surprised” by the veto, calling it a missed opportunity for California to get ahead of the growing water demands of AI infrastructure.“That bill was really a transparency bill. There weren’t a lot of onerous requirements, and it was really just to lay the foundation so we knew the water demand that AI centers were using,” Bothwell said.“It just confirmed my concerns throughout his governorship — that the image of being pro-tech is more important than preserving our water supply.”In a recent study conducted by researchers at UC Riverside, the authors found that in just the past few years, data centers in California have seen sharp increases in resource use, with electricity consumption rising by about 95%, carbon emissions nearly doubling and water use climbing roughly 96% — from 25.42 billion liters to 49.91 billion liters — between 2019 and 2023. As demand continues to grow, the researchers warn that the resulting strain on the grid could drive up additional air pollution and related health consequences, especially when fossil fuel plants are needed to meet peak power needs.Keep Reading
