AB 222: Data centers: power usage effectiveness: cost shifts.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to biennially adopt an integrated energy policy report, as specified, and to make the reports accessible to state, local, and federal entities and to the general public.

This bill would require the Energy Commission to establish a process for the owner of a data center, as defined, to submit the power usage effectiveness ratio, as defined, for the data center to the Energy Commission on a biannual basis, and require the owner of a data center to submit this information for the data center in the manner and timeframe specified by the Energy Commission. The bill would require the Energy Commission, as part of the 2027 edition of the integrated energy policy report, to include an assessment of electrical load trends for data centers, as provided.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law authorizes the PUC to fix the rates and charges for every public utility, and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable.

This bill would require the PUC to assess the extent to which electrical corporation costs associated with new loads from data centers result in cost shifts to other electrical corporation customers, as provided, and require the PUC, on or before January 1, 2027, to submit the assessment to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature and to publicly post a copy of the assessment on the PUC’s internet website.

Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.

This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. August 29, 2025In committee: Held under submission.
2. August 18, 2025In committee: Referred to suspense file.
3. July 16, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
4. July 7, 2025Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
5. July 3, 2025From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 13. Noes 3.) (July 1).
6. June 11, 2025Referred to Coms. on E., U & C. and JUD.
7. June 3, 2025In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
8. June 2, 2025Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 57. Noes 18. Page 1897.)
9. May 27, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
10. May 23, 2025Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
11. May 23, 2025From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (May 23).
12. May 23, 2025Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 51. Noes 16. Page 1644.)