Modesto officials have received initial contact from NorthPoint Development, a leading developer of data centers in the nation. NorthPoint’s name is associated with the former FMC plant site in Modesto and the company has inquired about putting a data center at that location. … According to Facebook posts last week by Modesto Councilman Chris Ricci, NorthPoint, based in Kansas City, proposed talks with council members about a small data center here. … Ricci said in a text he has serious concerns about the impacts of data centers on the community, ranging from high-volume water use for cooling operations and energy consumption, which could lead to higher electric rates for residents. According MOST Policy Institute, citing an EPA study, data centers used 17.4 billion gallons of water in 2023.

Other data center water use news:

• Chico Enterprise-Record (Calif.): Water Commission to discuss permits, zoning if data center is proposed
• Legis1: Data centers lack federal regulation, CRS report says
• The Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy (University of Utah): Blog: The elephant in the desert: The present and future of Utah data centers
• Marin Independent Journal (Calif.): Opinion: Data center hysteria is more hype than facts
• The Denver Post (Colo.): Opinion: Separating fact from fear when it comes to our Elyria Swansea data center