It seems power is the bigger problem. A data center uses about 1/4 the water that an alfalfa fam uses per year. So if it’s replacing one of those, that would be a net gain.
The push to build humongous data centers has arrived in nearly every state, regularly coming up against resistance based on ethical, health, and environmental concerns.
In Arizona, however, the outrage about data centers isn't a straightforward story of one rapacious industry draining the state of its much-needed water. It's the story of a long line of rapacious industries, and a state that needs those business to boost its boom and bust economy.
I've never fully understood the logic of people moving to a literal desert because they like the weather and then being surprised when they find themselves short of water for their golf courses. Datacenters consume a fraction of their overall water supply but are the current hot-button topic so it's what generates clicks. DCs aren't the problem (I mean, they certainly aren't helping), but maybe building industry and golf courses etc in a desert might have been a bad idea from the get-go.
TheDuckFarm | 14 hours ago
It seems power is the bigger problem. A data center uses about 1/4 the water that an alfalfa fam uses per year. So if it’s replacing one of those, that would be a net gain.
The power use however is another story.
[OP] theverge | 19 hours ago
The push to build humongous data centers has arrived in nearly every state, regularly coming up against resistance based on ethical, health, and environmental concerns.
In Arizona, however, the outrage about data centers isn't a straightforward story of one rapacious industry draining the state of its much-needed water. It's the story of a long line of rapacious industries, and a state that needs those business to boost its boom and bust economy.
Gift link: https://www.theverge.com/cs/features/1016650/arizona-water-data-center-tsmc?view_token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpZCI6IllCSVV5VXVvVnUiLCJwIjoiL2NzL2ZlYXR1cmVzLzEwMTY2NTAvYXJpem9uYS13YXRlci1kYXRhLWNlbnRlci10c21jIiwiZXhwIjoxNzkzNzE1NTQxLCJpYXQiOjE3OTMyODM1NDF9.CrJUjaCOwujuYIwTGBDheXaZztl8IHjCAii8O9FUByg&utm_medium=gift-link
thinkB4WeSpeak | 16 hours ago
The same Arizona that's depleted it's groundwater.
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/arizonas-declining-groundwater-154567/
svideo | 15 hours ago
I've never fully understood the logic of people moving to a literal desert because they like the weather and then being surprised when they find themselves short of water for their golf courses. Datacenters consume a fraction of their overall water supply but are the current hot-button topic so it's what generates clicks. DCs aren't the problem (I mean, they certainly aren't helping), but maybe building industry and golf courses etc in a desert might have been a bad idea from the get-go.