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CA SB887

Bill

Status

Introduced

1/13/2026

Primary Sponsor

Steve Padilla

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Origin

Senate

2025-2026 Regular Session

AI Summary

  • Prohibits categorical exemptions under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) from applying to data center development projects, requiring full environmental review
  • Authorizes the Governor to certify data centers as "environmental leadership development projects" eligible for streamlined CEQA review if they meet conditions including 100% zero-carbon electricity within five years, onsite energy storage, recycled water use, and full payment of grid interconnection costs
  • Requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to develop uniform statewide standards for data center environmental conditions, mandate regular compliance reporting, and initiate enforcement proceedings for noncompliance
  • Adds clean renewable energy powerplant projects using non-fossil fuel thermal energy sources to the list of projects eligible for environmental leadership certification
  • Defines covered data centers as commercial facilities requiring at least 50 megawatts of peak demand that primarily house computer servers for data processing, storage, or transmission

Legislative Description

California Environmental Quality Act: environmental leadership development projects: data centers: clean energy powerplant projects.

Last Action

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.

3/9/2026

Committee Referrals

Environmental Quality2/11/2026
Rules1/13/2026

Full Bill Text

No bill text available