UW Professor discusses data center topics raised at Microsoft meeting
Microsoft hosted a public meeting in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to discuss its data center operations, focusing on jobs, community impact, and water use. University of Wyoming professor Dr. Jonathan Brandt emphasized the need for more data regarding resource consumption, particularly water, given Cheyenne's reliance on the strained Colorado River watershed. He highlighted concerns about the significant power and water demands of data centers, urging caution on claims of low water footprints without verifiable data.
Microsoft recently held a public community meeting in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to address its data center operations in the region. The meeting, which was open to the public, covered topics such as the company's role as a neighbor, water consumption, and job creation in Laramie County. A Microsoft representative informed Your Wyoming Link that the company has operated in the community for 14 years and welcomed open conversations and concerns from residents. Media videography during interactions with representatives was restricted to a specific section of the room.
Dr. Jonathan Brandt, an environmental engineering professor at the University of Wyoming, weighed in on the relationship between data centers, cooling systems, and water consumption. He noted that assessing water use by data centers requires considering both cooling processes and the energy production needed to power them. Dr. Brandt stressed the importance of concrete data over mere claims, stating that all stakeholders "just want to see a little bit more proof than say, 'Hey, just trust me.'"
Highlighting the critical nature of water resources, Dr. Brandt pointed out that Cheyenne draws its water from the Colorado River watershed, which he described as being in a "crisis." He referenced Cheyenne facing a potential 70% cut in freshwater flows last year. While acknowledging that data centers are not inherently "evil," he emphasized that they consume significant resources. He expressed skepticism about claims of "really low water footprint" from air-cooled systems, such as those using a glycol-water mix, without verifiable data to back them up, especially when considering the sheer scale of power consumption.