AI’s thirst: California communities face new water strain as data centers move inland
A new report reveals that data centers are increasingly moving into water-stressed regions of California, straining local resources and bypassing environmental reviews. This lack of transparency about water usage is fueling community opposition and prompting calls for state lawmakers to mandate disclosure of resource consumption. Legislative efforts, such as Assembly Bill 2619, are currently underway to address these issues.
A report by Next 10 and the Santa Clara University Water & Climate Justice Lab highlights a growing environmental crisis in California, as "hyperscale" data centers migrate from traditional tech hubs like Silicon Valley to hydrologically and socially vulnerable inland regions, including the Central and Imperial Valleys. This shift is primarily driven by rising land and power costs in established areas like Santa Clara.
The report emphasizes that these massive facilities, which support generative AI, require substantial amounts of water for cooling and power generation. However, a critical lack of transparency exists regarding their water footprint, as many developers bypass the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) through "ministerial approvals." This process circumvents full Environmental Impact Reports and public comment, leaving local communities uninformed about the environmental impacts of these developments.
As an example, the report points to a planned data center in Imperial County, set to be one of the largest in the U.S., located in one of California's driest regions. Despite plans to use recycled water, researchers raise concerns about whether this water is already allocated elsewhere. This lack of data and oversight has ignited community pushback, with residents in Monterey Park successfully fighting to block a proposed facility.
To combat these inequities, the report recommends that California state lawmakers enforce standardized and timely disclosure of data center water and electricity usage. Legislative initiatives, such as Assembly Bill 2619, are currently aiming to increase transparency within the industry, which experts deem crucial for sustainable water planning amidst the increasing unpredictability of California's water cycles due to climate change.