California Governor Gavin Newsom signed seven bills to tighten rules on how AI data centres use electricity and water and how related costs are shared. The package focuses on clearer disclosure of impacts on local grids and water supplies and aims to prevent shifting costs to other customers. Measures require reporting to regulators, revise rate structures and set rules for water approvals and infrastructure upgrades. The bills also direct regulators to update interconnection and tariff rules by 2028.

The European Union is moving to introduce rules requiring data centres above a certain size to disclose their energy and water use, as AI drives a surge in demand for computing facilities. The European Commission proposed applying a common rating system to data centres with power capacity above 500 kW. The proposal is tied to the EU plan to triple data-centre capacity within seven years and could later underpin performance regulation.