Philp: California’s data center hysteria is more hype than facts
An opinion piece argues that public concern over data center water and electricity consumption in California is exaggerated and based on hype rather than facts. It highlights that data centers' overall water footprint, including indirect use, constitutes a tiny fraction of national and local supplies, citing the Imperial Valley as an example where a proposed facility's water use would be minimal compared to agricultural needs. The author criticizes Governor Newsom's veto of legislation requiring water use disclosure, suggesting a lack of transparency fuels the "hysteria."
An opinion column by Tom Philp published in the East Bay Times asserts that the widespread opposition and "hysteria" surrounding data center development in California and across the U.S. are largely unfounded, comparing current protests to historical resistance against new technologies like the Model T. Philp contends that fears over artificial intelligence's energy and water demands are misplaced, citing a 2024 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study that indicates data centers use significantly more water off-site for power generation than on-site for cooling.
The article argues that the projected national water use by data centers, including direct and indirect consumption, will amount to approximately 1% of the total U.S. annual water supply by 2028. It highlights the Imperial Valley in California, a "hotbed of data center hysteria," where a proposed hyperscale facility is estimated to use 856 acre-feet of water annually—a tiny fraction of the Imperial Irrigation District's 3.1 million acre-feet allotment and significantly less than what the valley uses for alfalfa cultivation. Philp also criticizes California Governor Gavin Newsom for vetoing legislation that would have required data centers to disclose their water usage, suggesting such a lack of transparency only exacerbates public concern. He adds that if data centers cause utility districts to incur higher power costs, the facilities should bear those costs.