EDWARD RING: The energy and water footprint of AI
The article analyzes the energy and water consumption of AI and data centers, arguing that concerns about their environmental footprint may be overstated due to rapid advancements in water recycling and energy efficiency. It highlights innovations like closed-loop cooling and emphasizes that computational power is improving much faster than electricity consumption. The author suggests California should enact smart regulations to foster the data center industry.
Edward Ring, Director of Water and Energy Policy at the California Policy Center, analyzes the environmental impact of artificial intelligence and the data centers it requires, suggesting that concerns about their energy and water footprints may be exaggerated. Regarding water, Ring highlights a report by Richard Evans detailing recycling innovations that could reduce data center water consumption to nearly zero, citing modern closed-loop cooling technologies that are significantly more efficient than traditional evaporative cooling. Microsoft and Oracle are noted as utilizing zero-water evaporation systems in their newest liquid-cooled AI data centers.
On the energy front, Ring acknowledges varying estimates for global data center electricity consumption but emphasizes that improvements in computational power efficiency (FLOPs per terawatt-hour) are projected to far outpace the increase in electricity demand. He notes that data center capacity is expected to be 8.6 times greater by 2030, even if electrical input only doubles. The article places US data center electricity usage at 6.6 percent of national production in 2025 and argues this share is less onerous given the US's higher per capita electricity availability compared to countries like China.
Ring concludes that data centers are integral to a broader energy transition driven by electrification and automation, requiring an expanded information and communications infrastructure. He posits that the need for data centers is beyond debate and that California faces an opportunity to implement "smart regulations" that support the industry rather than driving it to other states or nations.