Key points
- Edison and a PG&E-funded committee back Prop 45
- Data center developer Prologis gave $500,000
- Earthjustice warns data centers could use the fast track
California voters will decide November 3 whether to speed up environmental reviews for projects the state considers essential. Opponents of Proposition 45 warn that data center developers could use the fast track to limit public scrutiny. PG&E (PCG), Edison International (EIX), and Prologis (PLD) are among the companies paying for the Yes campaign on Prop 45, according to state campaign finance records.
Prop 45 would put deadlines on environmental reviews
Prop 45 would give state agencies 365 days to finish an environmental impact report under the California Environmental Quality Act and require legal challenges to be settled within 270 days, The Verge reported. Public comment would be capped at 45 days. Courts could pause only the problem parts of a project instead of halting it entirely.
The measure lists nine types of essential projects that qualify, including housing, clean energy, and broadband internet access.
The two sides disagree on whether data centers qualify
"The concern here is that data center developers will find a way to shoehorn their projects into the definition of an essential project and then get to take advantage of … the fast-track review that it'll create," said Fernando Gaytan, a senior attorney at Earthjustice, which opposes the measure. Some legal experts argue that data centers with broadband transmission equipment could fit the broadband category.
Supporters say data centers wouldn't qualify. "The fact that data centers may play a role in supporting the Internet does not make them 'essential broadband Internet access projects' under Prop 45," Kurt Oneto, an attorney and lobbyist, wrote in The National Law Review.
Utilities, builders, and tech donors are funding the Yes campaign
The main Yes on 45 committee has reported about $38.4 million in itemized contributions, including loans, its state filings show. The largest, $10 million, came from Building a Better California, a committee whose biggest donors are tech investors and executives. Google co-founder Sergey Brin has given that committee $102 million, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt about $40 million.
Committees run by the California Building Industry Association gave about $11.8 million.
Edison International and its affiliates lent the Yes campaign $2 million in December 2025, and a committee funded by PG&E has given it $2.3 million. Prologis gave $500,000 through its Modern Infrastructure Alliance Action Fund. Fuel cell maker Bloom Energy (BE) gave $250,000, and oil producer California Resources (CRC) gave $500,000.
Opponents, including the California Labor Federation, have spent more than $31 million against the measure, CalMatters reported.
