"The effort is drawing bipartisan support and is expected to come up again next year as officials grapple with the artificial intelligence boom’s side effects."

"States facing drought and dwindling groundwater supplies are seeking to pull back the curtain on water use at data centers, in a push for transparency that has scrambled traditional partisan alliances.

Lawmakers from at least eight states this year introduced legislation to require data centers to report their water use, which supporters say is crucial to protecting consumers and managing a finite resource. Driven by concerns about artificial intelligence’s environmental footprint, the effort is generating support — and skepticism — from both sides of the aisle.

In New Jersey and California, bills requiring data center water use reporting passed both legislative chambers but were vetoed by Democratic governors. In Virginia, a bill authorizing local governments to evaluate data center noise, water and land-use impacts was vetoed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin."

Miranda Willson reports for E&E News December 8, 2025. [2]