Newsom targets data center costs, resource usage with bevy of bills

Senate Bill 886, called the California Technology Innovation and Ratepayer Protection Act, requires the state Public Utilities Commission to update its rules, ensuring the costs for providing energy to data centers isn’t shifted to other customers. The bill was cowritten by Democratic state Senators Steve Padilla, of San Diego, and Jerry McNerney, of Pleasanton.

Senate Bill 1168, also by McNerney, requires the commission to survey any excessive use of energy by data centers and ensure it doesn’t lead to rate increases.

“Californians’ utility bills are already among the highest in the nation, and the rapid growth of data centers is threatening to send rates through the roof,” McNerney said in a statement. “SB 1168 helps ensure that data centers absorb the costs of their excessive energy use, not California ratepayers.”

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