July 30, 2025
The GIST As AI booms, data centers threaten energy grid and water supplies, expert says 
Gaby Clark
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Andrew Zinin
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The unseen infrastructure powering artificial intelligence (AI) isn't digital—it's physical: massive data centers filled with thousands of computer servers. As the popularity of AI tools continues to grow, it has triggered a once-in-a-generation construction boom for larger and more powerful data centers. Now, the recently announced AI Action Plan is calling for even more infrastructure to power them.
Virginia Tech's Landon Marston, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, explains what the rapid expansion of data centers could mean for our power grids, water supply, and communities.
Why do data centers require so much energy and water to operate?
"The primary driver for energy consumption is the IT equipment itself—the servers run 24/7 to process data. The second major driver is cooling. All that electronic equipment generates a tremendous amount of heat, and data centers must run massive cooling systems to keep servers from overheating. AI-specific servers are especially power-hungry because of the intense calculations they perform," Marston said.
"Water's main role is in those cooling systems. Many large data centers use evaporative cooling, which is very effective but can sometimes consume as much water as a small city."
What are the biggest environmental concerns associated with removing regulations around the construction of AI data centers?
"It could lead to data centers being built without adequate grid planning, increasing the risk of local blackouts," said Marston. "It could also allow facilities to be built without proper consideration of local water availability, water infrastructure, and financial agreements that ensure long-term sustainability of the water system."
What strategies could make data centers more sustainable?
According to Marston, there's a lot of innovation happening here:
- Improving efficiency. This is being done by designing more energy-efficient AI chips, using advanced cooling methods like liquid cooling that is more efficient than air, and using AI to optimize the data center's own energy use
- Using clean energy. Tech companies are among the world's largest corporate buyers of renewable energy. They sign huge contracts, known as power purchase agreements, to fund new wind and solar farms to power their operations. There is also growing interest in next-generation clean power sources such as advanced geothermal and small modular nuclear reactors.
- Reusing heat. Instead of just venting the massive amount of heat they produce, some data centers in Europe are capturing it and using it to heat nearby homes and businesses, turning a waste product into a community resource.
- Investing in water stewardship: Many companies are funding local water projects to offset their water usage. For example, Google's 2025 Water Stewardship Report details 112 projects they support, from helping farmers in Arizona use smart irrigation to save water in the Colorado River Basin, to restoring wetlands that recharge aquifers in California, to funding the installation of toilet leak detectors in affordable housing.
What needs to happen in engineering, infrastructure, or policy to keep up with AI data center growth?
Marston says a coordinated effort is needed across the board. According to him, this includes:
- Infrastructure: A massive investment is needed to upgrade the power grid and to modernize public water systems so they can meet rising demands and remain resilient.
- Policy: Streamlining the permitting process for new energy and grid projects is critical to reducing delays. Regulators should also create incentive structures that encourage data centers to build in areas where power and water are more plentiful and to operate more flexibly to reduce strain on the grid and water systems during peak hours.
- Engineering: Data center operators themselves need to continue innovating. This includes designing more efficient facilities. Using their on-site battery storage or backup power to help stabilize the grid when needed will help, as well as their on-site water storage which can ease the stress on the water systems during high-demand periods.
Provided by Virginia Tech Citation: As AI booms, data centers threaten energy grid and water supplies, expert says (2025, July 30) retrieved 30 July 2025 from https://techxplore.com/news/2025-07-ai-booms-centers-threaten-energy.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
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