Among the bills are proposals from Bay Area Assemblymembers Diane Papan and Rebecca Bauer-Kahan that would require greater disclosure of water and energy use by data center operators.
"You cannot manage what you cannot measure," Papan said.
Papan's legislation focuses on water use before and after a data center begins operating. One bill would require developers to disclose projected water use.
"It requires data centers to inform localities of how much water they're going to use prior to construction," Papan said.
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A second measure would require operators to report water usage.
"Every year or two years, depending on the locality, when you renew the business license, you would identify how much water you have used," Papan said. "Water is a finite resource."
Bauer-Kahan's bill focuses on energy consumption and reporting requirements.
"The bill will give the state information about the energy demands of these data centers and how efficient they are. And it'll give local communities information about how it'll affect them, from noise to energy to everyday impacts," Bauer-Kahan said.
The lawmakers said the measures are intended to provide transparency about the resources data centers consume while allowing the industry to continue operating and growing in California.
The Data Center Coalition, an industry group representing data center owners, is opposing the legislation.
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It argues data centers are being singled out and the bills could threaten development.
"We need data centers. We need it to make our phones work and our industries work, and for people to live the data-forward lives where they live today," Bauer-Kahan said. "But we also need to make sure that everyday Californians are paying the price for these data centers and that they're not impacting our communities negatively."
The debate over data centers has extended beyond California.
On Monday, Vice President JD Vance addressed the issue, saying, "If you build a data center, you should be putting power back into the grid, not taking it out. And if that is happening, I don't think the data centers are that controversial. It's when the utility bills get so much higher that's when it's a real problem."
San Jose State University engineering professor and technology expert Ahmed Banafa said California is home to about 300 data centers, with more than half located in the Bay Area.
"AI may be digital, but it has actually a physical footprint. We can see it. We can feel it," Banafa said.
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He said the legislation seeks to balance technological innovation with public concerns.
"This kind of regulation is trying to walk that thin line by saying, well, I'm not asking you to leave. We are not against you. We want you to be fair with us," Banafa said.
The bills come after Newsom vetoed similar measures last year. The governor now has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the legislation.
"I'm optimistic the governor will sign it," Bauer-Kahan said.
Supporters say the goal is to give communities more information about the impact of data centers and allow them to coexist with growing technology infrastructure.
Responding to concerns raised by opponents, including the Data Center Coalition, Papan said transparency benefits both communities and developers.
"I say to them, help us help you. If you end up in a locality where they run out of water, how will you succeed?" she said.