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Assembly committee advances bill to require data on data‑center electricity use, citing ratepayer protections
Summary
The Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee voted 11-3 to pass AB 222 as amended, directing reporting on data‑center power needs and asking regulators to guard ratepayers from bearing the full cost of related grid upgrades.
Assemblymember Bauer Kehan introduced AB 222 to the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy, saying the bill would require better, more accurate information about data‑center electricity demand and would protect residential ratepayers from shouldering the costs of grid upgrades tied to new data centers.
The bill’s sponsor said AB 222 is “first and foremost a ratepayer protection measure” and a “light touch” intended not to stop data‑center development but to ensure the state’s grid planning and rate decisions are based on accurate, timely data. Eric Massenet, a University of California, Santa Barbara researcher who testified in support, said much of the public information about data‑center energy use today is an estimate, and analysts need consistent, empirical data to plan properly.
Why it matters: Committee members and witnesses said data centers are growing rapidly and that inaccurate demand estimates can lead to higher rates or reliability risks. The bill aims to give regulators the factual basis to judge whether costs of upgrades tied to data‑center construction are “just and reasonable” and to limit cost shifts to customers who do not benefit from the facilities.
Supporters included environmental and labor groups that said improved reporting will support planning and equity. The Data Center Coalition, Silicon Valley Leadership Group and several business groups testified in opposition, saying the bill as written raises privacy, security and competitiveness concerns and could give regulators excessive discretion over cost allocation.
Committee discussion: Vice Chair Patterson and other members said they want both robust clean‑energy infrastructure and safeguards so ratepayers do not bear disproportionate costs. The author and other lawmakers said committee amendments narrowed reporting requirements, including adding location reporting so state energy planners can match meter data and proposals. The author pledged to continue negotiations with labor and industry to refine the bill.
Vote and next steps: The committee passed AB 222, as amended, on a roll call that produced an 11-3 vote. The bill was ordered out to the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee.
Closing note: The bill’s text and committee amendments will determine the specific reporting fields and any exclusions for proprietary or security‑sensitive material; the author and opponents said they will continue technical discussions before later hearings.
