1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Vote yes on AB 2619 and AB 2469. No data center should receive a building permit in California without publicly disclosing exactly how much water it will consume and what that means for the local supply. A new report from Next10 and Santa Clara University researchers found that planned facilities are expanding into water-stressed communities in the Central and Imperial Valleys, where groundwater is already overtapped — and current law lets operators avoid disclosing their actual usage entirely. The tech industry claims data centers use less water than other industries but offers zero data to back that up. Meanwhile, a UC Berkeley study makes clear that what matters is the scale of new local use compared to available local supply. These facilities compete directly with homes, farms, hospitals, and local businesses for water that simply isn't there to spare — especially during heat waves and drought. Communities in Kern County and the Imperial Valley are already fighting over dwindling groundwater and Colorado River allocations. They deserve answers before a shovel hits the ground, not after. Assemblymember Papan's bills are a reasonable baseline. Transparency before approval is not a burden — it's the minimum standard California's water future demands.