Why data centers are sparking debate over energy and water

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - Every time we use artificial intelligence, somewhere, a data center is helping make it possible.

But as these facilities grow, so do concerns about their impact on the environment.

Thousands of computers working around the clock, processing information we use every day. But all that computing power comes with a cost, and it is not just financial.

Data centers accounted for nearly 5% of all electricity used in the United States in 2024, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. By 2030, that could climb to nearly 12% under one projection.

If that additional electricity comes from fossil fuels, it also means more carbon emissions. And the electricity has to get there, potentially requiring new power plants and transmission infrastructure.

Electricity is only half the conversation. There is also water

Most data centers that are being built today are trying to conserve water because they see the controversies happening around water and they want to be responsible developers, Jean Hardy, associate director of the Quello Center at Michigan State University, said.

In 2023, American data centers consumed an estimated 17 billion gallons of water directly. That is roughly three times as much as in 2014.

Why so much? Computers generate heat, and some data centers rely on evaporating water to keep them cool.

That water is not destroyed. It returns to the atmosphere. But it is no longer immediately available to the community that supplied it.

Even data centers that do not consume water for cooling can have a water footprint. That’s because generating the electricity they use can also require water, sometimes at power plants many miles away.

Other concerns include wastewater from certain cooling systems, pollution from backup generators, and the environmental cost of manufacturing computer equipment.

Not every data center operates the same way.

In Clinton, QTS said its proposed facility would use a closed-loop cooling system that would not consume water for cooling once operational.

It is one example of how technology can reduce some environmental impacts — but does not necessarily eliminate all of them.

As communities weigh the benefits against the costs, the question is not simply whether data centers use resources. It is how much they use, where those resources come from, and whether their impacts can be reduced.

Clinton city leaders are considering new zoning regulations for data centers, including standards addressing environmental concerns.

The company exploring the proposed data center in Clinton said it would pay for its own energy infrastructure and use a cooling system designed to minimize water consumption.