What are some of the California environmental bills the Legislature sent to Gavin Newsom?

Stephen Hobbs, The Sacramento Bee on Sep 14, 2026

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California legislators passed a bill last month that pushed back against changes to a state law Gov. Gavin Newsom had previously jammed through the Legislature, as part of an array of environmental measures that headlined this year’s legislative session.

That measure joined bills regulating data centers, home energy use and other measures affecting the state’s natural resources that are now awaiting action by Newsom.

Here are some of them:

Stronger CEQA

Advocates have for more than a year raised alarms about the changes to the California Environmental Quality Act that Newsom and legislators approved in the summer of 2025. The landmark law requires public agencies to evaluate and document potential environmental effects of projects. But it has come under increasing criticism from lawmakers because local residents can use it to stall or kill housing and other developments.

Senate Bill 954, which the Legislature passed last month, would repeal one of the changes approved last year: an exemption from CEQA for certain manufacturing plants. If the new bill, authored by state Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, becomes law, it would only allow the exemption to be used in limited circumstances, and projects would need to go through more steps, including at least one public hearing, before receiving the exemption.

Data centers

The facilities that help power the rapid growth of artificial intelligence programs are facing a bipartisan backlash across the country. California legislators are looking to crack down on the water and electricity used by the centers.

Cities and counties would not be able to expand existing centers or build new ones unless their operators provide plans for preserving water during years with little rain, under Assembly Bill 2469, authored by Assemblymember Diane Papan, D-San Mateo.

Center operators would also need to provide cities and counties an estimate, under the threat of criminal prosecution, of how much water their facilities were expected to use per day and year, if another measure by Papan, AB 2619 is approved by Newsom.

And Assembly Bill 2383, by Assemblymember Rick Zbur, D-Los Angeles, would require data center operators to pay utilities a tariff based on their electricity demands. Zbur said the goal of the measure is to make sure that California ratepayers are not bearing the cost of powering the facilities.

Gas to electric

The California Public Utilities Commission would be required to create a program requiring companies to offer certain customers the chance — and a “monetary incentive” — to change their gas service lines to electric ones under Assembly Bill 2313. Gas stoves and other appliances can cause indoor air pollution that is harmful to people living in homes that use them, and Assemblymember Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, said he authored the measure to help protect their health and the environment.

Newsom has until Sept. 30 to act on the bills.

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