Snorkel AI raises $350M at $3.5B valuation

California mandates data center energy and water transparency

California has signed seven bills forcing data centers to disclose their electricity and water usage, closing a major information gap that has left communities in the dark about infrastructure impacts. The legislation requires monthly energy reporting and specific water disclosures during permitting, while also directing regulators to create separate power rates to prevent costs from being passed on to general consumers. This marks a significant shift from voluntary sustainability pledges to enforceable transparency, driven by concerns over grid strain and local resource depletion. It signals that the era of opaque AI infrastructure expansion is ending in one of the world's largest tech markets.