Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's claims on data center water usage contradicted by data
News Clip0:48Context Corner ·TX·9/5/2026
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claimed data centers "don't use water," which was contradicted by data from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory indicating U.S. data centers used an estimated 66 billion liters in 2023. While Lutnick later acknowledged older facilities' water use and newer systems' efficiency, the video highlights a broader debate on balancing data center growth with concerns over water, electricity, taxes, and economic development.
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Gov: U.S. Department of Commerce, Howard Lutnick
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said data centers “don’t use water” and called concerns over their water use “misinformation.”
But data from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory shows U.S. data centers used an estimated 66 billion liters of water in 2023, with water use varying significantly depending on the cooling system and facility.
Lutnick later acknowledged that older data centers used significant amounts of water and said newer facilities can use closed-circuit and other cooling systems.
The bigger debate is now about how communities balance data center growth, water use, electricity demand, taxes and economic development.
So, do data centers use water? The answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no.
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