{"slug": "lawmakers-return-to-sacramento-to-tackle-wildfire-costs-climate-funding-ai-data", "title": "Lawmakers Return to Sacramento to Tackle Wildfire Costs, Climate Funding, AI Data Centers", "summary": "California lawmakers return to Sacramento from summer recess on Monday to address high-stakes energy and environmental decisions, including wildfire cost allocation, climate fund priorities, and regulations for AI data centers. Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators will weigh these issues in the final weeks of the legislative session, as discussed by Politico's California environment reporter Camille von Kaenel and energy reporter Noah Baustin.", "body_md": "Political Breakdown\n\n# Lawmakers Return to Sacramento to Tackle Wildfire Costs, Climate Funding, AI Data Centers\n\nIn the final weeks of the legislative session, Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers will consider high-stakes decisions on energy and the environment.\n\nFirefighters watch as water is dropped on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)\n\nThe state Legislature returns to Sacramento from summer recess on Monday, and they’ll face big questions about California’s messy energy transition. Who should bear the cost of damaging wildfires? How should the state prioritize its shrinking climate fund? What regulations should they impose on the rapid buildout of AI data centers?\n\nGuy discusses all that with two contributors to Politico’s California Currents newsletter: California environment reporter Camille von Kaenel and California energy reporter Noah Baustin.\n\nCheck out [Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter](/newsletters/political-breakdown), delivered straight to your inbox.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/lawmakers-return-to-sacramento-to-tackle-wildfire-costs-climate-funding-ai-data", "canonical_source": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2026/07/31/lawmakers-return-to-sacramento-to-tackle-wildfire-costs-climate-funding-ai-data-centers/", "published_at": "2026-07-31 23:11:13+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-31 23:55:42.754364+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy", "ai-infrastructure"], "entities": ["Gavin Newsom", "Camille von Kaenel", "Noah Baustin", "Politico"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/lawmakers-return-to-sacramento-to-tackle-wildfire-costs-climate-funding-ai-data", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/lawmakers-return-to-sacramento-to-tackle-wildfire-costs-climate-funding-ai-data.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/lawmakers-return-to-sacramento-to-tackle-wildfire-costs-climate-funding-ai-data.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/lawmakers-return-to-sacramento-to-tackle-wildfire-costs-climate-funding-ai-data.jsonld"}}