Researchers Recommend Siting Data Centers Near Renewables
In a recent Cornell University study, researchers analyzed data-center water and energy footprints and noted indirect water use from electricity generation was about 211 billion gallons in 2023 versus roughly 17 billion gallons on-site. They find that siting data centers near abundant wind and solar — notably West Texas, Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota — can shrink combined water and climate footprints by up to 100-fold as AI demand rises.
Key Points
- 1Quantify indirect water: power-generation linked water use totaled about 211 billion gallons in 2023.
- 2Highlight that grid mix drives over 70% of total data-center water consumption, affecting environmental footprints.
- 3Recommend siting near wind and solar (West Texas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota) to reduce footprints.
Scoring Rationale
Strong actionable research with national scope and credible sources, but incremental novelty over prior water-footprint analyses.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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