Environment & Climate
Ceres report finds data center energy demands drive significant indirect water use
An analysis of seven key states shows data center power needs rely heavily on water-intensive electricity generation in water-stressed regions.
The short version
- A study by Ceres reveals data centers across seven U.S. states depend on approximately 3.4 trillion gallons of freshwater annually to generate their required electricity.
- About 78% of electricity in the analyzed states comes from water-reliant power plants, with 66% of those plants located in areas facing water stress or drought.
- Despite power producers citing data centers as a major driver of growing energy demand, few utilities or data center operators currently track the associated indirect water risks.
Key facts
- The report "Water Behind the Watts: The Hidden Risk of Powering Data Centers" was published by Ceres and examined data centers in Virginia, Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia, Ohio, and Arizona.[Hacker News]
- Data centers in the seven analyzed states rely on about 3.4 trillion gallons of freshwater each year for electricity generation, which equals roughly 12 times the combined annual municipal water use of Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C.[Hacker News]
- In the states studied, 78% of grid electricity was supplied by power facilities that require water for operations.[Hacker News]
- Sixty-six percent of the water-reliant power facilities supplying electricity in these states are situated in regions experiencing medium-high to extremely high water stress or drought.[Hacker News]
- The study found that most power producers and data center operators fail to account for water risks tied to the electricity purchased to power data facilities.[Hacker News]