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Indirect water use from AI power plants could rise sharply, study says
University of Michigan researchers estimate water used offsite would increase total annual consumption for three large Arizona AI data centers by 14 billion gallons.
Data center developers have begun promoting cooling technologies that reduce the amount of water used to chill servers in drought-stressed regions such as Arizona, but a report highlighted by Insurance Journal says those direct-efficiency efforts do not address most of the water consumed by the AI buildout.
According to Insurance Journal, new research points to a growing indirect water footprint as power plants consume large volumes of water to generate electricity needed to run artificial intelligence, including at facilities that use more efficient cooling systems.
The outlet cites a University of Michigan paper estimating that water used offsite would add 14 billion gallons to the total annual water consumption for three large AI data centers planned for Arizona.
Insurance Journal also includes commentary from Shaolei Ren, a University of California at Riverside professor, saying indirect water use has received less attention even though it can be significantly higher than direct use and affect watersheds and regional water resources.