Overview
- A peer-reviewed Cornell study projects 24–44 million metric tons of extra CO2 annually and 731–1,125 million cubic meters of water use by 2030 from U.S. AI servers, with siting, clean power, and efficient cooling able to cut most of the impact.
- In Santa Clara, completed data centers by Digital Realty and Stack sit unpowered as the city utility undertakes a $450 million upgrade scheduled through 2028, reflecting multi‑year hookup delays seen nationwide, including in Northern Virginia.
- Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Bernie Sanders, Chris Van Hollen, Ed Markey, and Ron Wyden sent a letter to OSTP’s Michael Kratsios and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick seeking answers on rising bills, water risks, and who pays for AI power needs by Nov. 21.
- Utilities are delaying coal plant retirements and turning to natural gas and quick‑deploy generators, including a 10‑gigawatt request in Georgia, while tech firms pursue longer‑term options such as renewables, batteries, and small modular reactors.
- Forecasts cited across reports suggest data centers could draw 7–12% of U.S. electricity by 2030, as hyperscalers’ roughly $400 billion in 2025 spending runs into grid lead times that leave some new facilities idle.