Edison Electric Institute (EEI) reports data centers could require up to 300 GW of power by 2030, though Schneider Electric’s estimates vary wildly from 16.5 to 65.3 GW, exposing deep uncertainty.
Utilities are using inflated projections to justify rate hikes and infrastructure expansions, with EEI admitting the bias is toward corporate growth, not consumer needs.
Central Texas data centers consumed 463 million gallons of water in 2023-24 and Texas data centers are projected to use 49 billion gallons in 2025 and 400 billion by 2030.
Globally, data centers consumed 448 TWh of electricity and 4.5 trillion liters of water last year, with projections doubling to 945 TWh and 9.3 trillion liters by 2030.
AI is physical infrastructure requiring land, water and energy and poor planning could collide with existing resource pressures unless responsible planning begins now.
The artificial intelligence revolution is not just transforming how we work and communicate, it is fundamentally rewriting America’s relationship with its most basic resources. While tech giants race to build the infrastructure for superintelligence, a quieter crisis is unfolding in communities across the country, where residents are being asked to make sacrifices for machines.
Read Full Article: https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-06-15-ai-data-centers-draining-water-and-power.html
