With the AI boom, construction of new data centers class=”link ” href=”https://www.reuters.com/business/us-data-center-build-hits-record-ai-demand-surges-bank-america-institute-says-2025-09-10/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:has skyrocketed;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>has skyrocketed, and not without consequence — class=”link ” href=”https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/technology/meta-data-center-water.html” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:some communities;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>some communities that count these facilities as neighbors class=”link ” href=”https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-ai-impacts-data-centers-water-data/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:are now;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>are now facing class=”link ” href=”https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8gy7lv448o” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:water shortages;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>water shortages and class=”link ” href=”https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2024-ai-power-home-appliances/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:strained power supplies;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>strained power supplies. While tech’s data center footprint has been growing for decades, generative AI has seemingly shifted the impacts of these operations toward the catastrophic. What exactly makes these new data centers such a burden on the environment and existing infrastructure, and is there anything we can…
