A proposition that opponents warn could make it easier to build data centers in California appears to be headed for defeat. Supporters argue Prop. 45 could help address the state’s housing crisis.
Prop. 45 would have changed how California reviews the environmental impacts of certain projects, including housing, transportation, clean energy and broadband infrastructure.
Opponents argued it could also open the door to faster approvals for data centers by weakening parts of the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA.
Woody Little with the "No on Prop 45" campaign says the apparent rejection should send a message to lawmakers.
"I think CEQA has become this dirty four-letter word in Sacramento, and clearly with the public that’s just not quite the case," said Little. "There’s a little bit of a disconnect."
Lawmakers already signed legislation last year exempting certain urban infill housing projects from CEQA review.
A spokesperson for the California Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the proposition, declined to comment until more results are available.
The chamber has previously denied that the measure would allow data centers to bypass CEQA.