By Lynn Cai
The number of data centers has increased over the past few years as a result of the AI boom. There are now over 5,000 AI data centers across the United States, with at least 50 currently under construction. The surge in construction has raised concerns regarding water usage, especially during a time when more than 60% of the US is currently experiencing drought conditions. AI data centers generate loads of heat when processing and computing data, hence requiring copious amounts of water to cool down. A mid-size data center uses at least 300,000 gallons of water per day, while larger facilities can consume up to 5 million gallons per day- equivalent to the usage of a small town.
An estimated two-thirds of data centers are clustered in water-stressed areas, especially throughout the South and the Southwest. Many tech companies are attracted to these areas due to lax regulations, ample land, tax incentives, in addition to increasing power infrastructure. A lot of the facilities used to power the data centers rely on fossil fuels such as natural gas. Consequently, the construction of data centers involves the construction of gas power plants and generators, resulting in additional air pollution. In addition, the increase in energy demands puts strain on the electrical grid, leading to higher bills for local residents. According to one estimate, data centers within the US consumed a total of 176 terawatt-hours of energy in 2023, matching the output of the entire country of Ireland. Moreover, data centers are massive and take up a lot of land, putting them at odds with other rural land uses including agriculture.
The number of planned data centers is expected to increase even more in the future, adding more strain to already limited resources. By 2028, electricity usage is expected to double or triple, and water usage could reach up to 32 billion gallons annually. While some data centers are utilizing less water-intensive methods to cool their infrastructure, they may not be enough to keep up with growing AI demands.
This map was created by Newsweek, overlaying data from Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting with data from the US Drought Monitor. The blue dots represent the location of data centers, both currently existing and under construction. The gradient depicts the severity of drought.
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