How much water do AI data centers really use? Wisconsin researchers look for answers.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Center for Water Policy have published a paper and legislative model addressing the environmental impacts, particularly water and electricity usage, of hyperscale AI data centers. They emphasize the need for increased transparency from the industry and robust oversight from state and local governments. A Marquette poll indicates that 70% of Wisconsinites believe the costs of large data centers, especially water impacts, outweigh the benefits.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Center for Water Policy, led by assistant director Tressie Kamp, has released findings and a legislative model examining the water and energy consumption of AI data centers. The research, titled "The Hidden Environmental Costs of Data Centers and AI," highlights the significant water demands of hyperscale facilities, noting that U.S. data centers consumed an estimated 17 billion gallons of water directly for cooling in 2023, with an indirect consumption of 211 billion gallons for electricity generation.
Kamp emphasized the need for greater transparency from the data center industry, citing challenges in obtaining concrete numbers on resource use due to facilities' designs sometimes being considered trade secrets. The legislative model proposes five key goals for policymakers: improving comprehensive planning, increasing transparency and public disclosure, protecting ratepayers from increased utility costs, establishing energy and water efficiency prerequisites for permit approval or tax exemptions, and increasing funding for water management and conservation.
The discussion also touched on the Great Lakes Compact, a legally binding agreement, which currently offers limited utility in tracking specific data center water needs due to these facilities typically hooking into existing municipal utilities rather than being direct permit holders. Microsoft's pilot of a "closed-loop system" in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, was mentioned as a potential advancement for direct water cooling, but researchers stressed that the larger challenge of indirect water consumption for electricity generation also needs to be addressed for overall sustainability.