America’s AI boom is running into an unplanned water problem
The fastest‑growing piece of America’s artificial intelligence infrastructure is colliding with one of its most finite local resources: water. As utilities, state regulators, and local governments rush to accommodate a surge in data‑center construction driven by AI and cloud computing, water is emerging as a constraint that few permitting systems were designed to manage. … In 2023, U.S. data centers consumed an estimated 17 billion gallons of water, according to federal and industry analyses compiled by the Energy Department and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Hyperscale facilities alone are projected to consume between 16 billion and 33 billion gallons annually by 2028.
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