New bill forces Utah data center to disclose water use estimates

Utah recently enacted the Data Center Water Transparency Amendments, a new bill compelling data center developers to provide estimates of their future water consumption. This legislative step aims to address growing concerns over the significant water demands of server farms, particularly those supporting artificial intelligence systems, in a state facing severe drought conditions. Zach Frankel, executive director of the Utah Rivers Council and Great Salt Lake Waterkeeper, highlighted that two data centers can consume as much water as a city of 100,000 people. He expressed alarm over the potential impact on the Great Salt Lake and other regions, noting that current state regulations still permit data centers to keep actual water use records confidential, leaving local officials ill-equipped to negotiate terms. The data center industry views these new regulations as "burdensome" and a potential impediment to economic growth. However, Frankel countered that data centers primarily create temporary construction jobs, with few permanent positions, and that their substantial demands on water and power make them a poor long-term growth investment compared to traditional development. Conservationists argue these measures are insufficient and more needs to be done.