As the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence drives an unprecedented boom in data center construction across California, a bipartisan push for tighter industry oversight is gaining traction in the state capitol. Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez (R-Indio) cast his vote this week in favor of a sweeping package of legislation designed to pull back the curtain on […]
The U.S. Supreme Court has approved a settlement package designed to rein in groundwater pumping along one of North America’s longest rivers and ensure enough water reliably makes it from New Mexico to Texas, ending a long-running dispute over management of the Rio Grande. In a brief order Tuesday, the court accepted the recommendation of a special […]
American data centers collectively consume unprecedented amounts of water, with AI driving exponential demand growth. Data centers across the United States consume massive quantities of water for cooling their servers. These facilities require constant temperature regulation to prevent overheating, and that cooling comes at a steep environmental cost. The scale of consumption continues growing as AI workloads demand more […]
Amid the worst regional drought the Western U.S. has seen in 1,200 years, and in a year where Rocky Mountain snowpack levels also hit record lows, the Colorado River system is now barely over one-third of its total hydrological capacity, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. As a result, water levels at Lake Mead […]
The Bureau of Reclamation plans to release about $35 million to Utah from the Inflation Reduction Act for drought mitigation projects in the Colorado River Basin, said Amy Haas, director of the Colorado River Authority of Utah. That’s just a portion of the $90 million that the Biden administration awarded to Utah for 11 projects, […]
Data center builders don’t tell the public how much water they use, according to a new report — and the industry is encroaching into water-stressed and vulnerable communities. The report, by the think tank Next10 and researchers at Santa Clara University, finds that planned data centers — the ganglia of artificial intelligence — are spreading to regions reliant on […]
California Lawmakers Move To Pull Back Curtain on AI Data Centers Amid Strain on Power and Water
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /Imperial Valley Press SacramentoAs the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence drives an unprecedented boom in data center construction across California, a bipartisan push for tighter industry oversight is gaining traction in the state capitol. Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez (R-Indio) cast his vote this week in favor of a sweeping package of legislation designed to pull back the curtain on […]
Supreme Court Settles Long-Running Water Dispute Over Dwindling Rio Grande
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Susan Montoya BryanThe U.S. Supreme Court has approved a settlement package designed to rein in groundwater pumping along one of North America’s longest rivers and ensure enough water reliably makes it from New Mexico to Texas, ending a long-running dispute over management of the Rio Grande. In a brief order Tuesday, the court accepted the recommendation of a special […]
The Great Water Heist: How AI Data Centers are Draining the Heartland
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /Yahoo Newsby Alex BarrientosAmerican data centers collectively consume unprecedented amounts of water, with AI driving exponential demand growth. Data centers across the United States consume massive quantities of water for cooling their servers. These facilities require constant temperature regulation to prevent overheating, and that cooling comes at a steep environmental cost. The scale of consumption continues growing as AI workloads demand more […]
Southern Nevada Confronts a Challenging Future After Water Cuts Further Deplete Lake Mead
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /Las Vegas Weekly by Tyler SchneiderAmid the worst regional drought the Western U.S. has seen in 1,200 years, and in a year where Rocky Mountain snowpack levels also hit record lows, the Colorado River system is now barely over one-third of its total hydrological capacity, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. As a result, water levels at Lake Mead […]
Utah To Receive $35M From Feds for Colorado River Projects
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /The Times-Independent Utahby Brooke LarsenThe Bureau of Reclamation plans to release about $35 million to Utah from the Inflation Reduction Act for drought mitigation projects in the Colorado River Basin, said Amy Haas, director of the Colorado River Authority of Utah. That’s just a portion of the $90 million that the Biden administration awarded to Utah for 11 projects, […]
Data Centers Are Guzzling California’s Water
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /Cal Mattersby Rachel BeckerData center builders don’t tell the public how much water they use, according to a new report — and the industry is encroaching into water-stressed and vulnerable communities. The report, by the think tank Next10 and researchers at Santa Clara University, finds that planned data centers — the ganglia of artificial intelligence — are spreading to regions reliant on […]