Newsom's stance on controversial data centers about to be tested. Again.

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SACRAMENTO — Gov.Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation to require proposed data centers to provide estimates of their water usage last year, saying he was “reluctant to impose rigid reporting requirements” without understanding the impact on businesses and consumers.Opposition to the mammoth tech hubs and their massive thirst of water, power and land has only escalated throughout the state and nation ever since.

In just a matter of months, Newsom again could find himself in the political crosshairs.Several bills to regulate the facilities and increase public transparency on their impacts are progressing in the California Legislature, which could create a conundrum for a governor who has long aligned with the tech industry but also paints himself as an environmental and social justice advocate.“I think the governor is in a fragile position,” said Megan Mullin, a public policy professor at UCLA.“Tech has been a long backer of his, but at the same time there is this growing national outcry against data centers.”Data centers have existed for decades but are rapidly expanding due to the worldwide boom in artificial intelligence.

The newer centers built to power AI are far larger than their original counterparts and require immense amounts of water and energy.The facilities also contribute to fossil fuel emissions, with Cornell University researchers estimating last year that AI growth could add 24 to 44 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere annually by 2030.Fossil fuel emissions are drivers of climate change and linked to a range of health conditions, including asthma, various cancers and birth defects.Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced last week that the Trump administration will not set national environmental requirements or recommendations for the data center industry, leaving it to state lawmakers to determine best poli...