Data Centers: Power, Water and Heat – A Fresh Look

In a quiet Utah park one evening, a group of moms turned their attention to the buzz around a new data center. The conversation shifted from toddlers’ playtime to worries about heat, water use and electricity costs for a proposed 9‑gigawatt facility in Box Elder County. Data centers are the hidden backbone of everyday tech: they store photos, power online shopping, run voice assistants and stream shows. The proposed Stratos Project would be one of the biggest in the U. S. , with a power capacity 90 to 225 times larger than an average center that uses 40–100 MW. A recent poll shows more than half of Utah residents oppose the project, echoing broader concerns about environmental impact. Critics question whether the water required for cooling and power generation will strain local supplies, and whether the heat from such a large plant could raise regional temperatures. Reports on water use for AI have varied wildly. A 2024 Washington Post article claimed a single ChatGPT email consumes an entire bottle of water, leading to estimates that billions of queries would use hundreds of millions of gallons daily. A follow‑up review by a UC Riverside professor argued that most of that water is used in power plants, not the data center itself, and that modern AI models use far less water—often just a few milliliters per prompt. Even so, data center water consumption depends on many factors: cooling method, local climate, energy source and equipment efficiency. Some centers use water‑intensive cooling towers that save electricity, while air‑cooled systems may increase overall water demand through higher power use.The Stratos Project’s developers estimate annual water usage between 500 and 1, 100 acre‑feet (163–358 million gallons). The state’s governor says this will be less than the region’s current use, but critics note that even modest increases could affect local ecosystems. Comparisons to other industries show data centers use roughly the same water as a medium‑sized brewery, about 0. 14 % of national daily consumption. By contrast, a single walnut or hamburger requires several gallons, and Americans consume billions of burgers yearly, drawing massive water resources. Thermal impact is another concern. A physics professor’s rough calculation suggests that a 9‑GW natural gas plant could raise temperatures in the valley by 2–5 °F during the day and 8–12 °F at night, potentially eliminating overnight dew and frost that support local wildlife. This mirrors the urban heat island effect seen in cities, where infrastructure raises temperatures by up to 10 °F. Electricity demand from data centers grew modestly in recent years—about 4 % of national consumption in 2023. Some experts argue that the hype around AI is comparable to past tech bubbles, and that projected growth may be overstated. Regarding costs, Utah has passed a law ensuring data center power is generated on site or imported without raising consumer rates. Studies elsewhere show that data centers typically add less than 0. 1 % to residential bills, though some regions experience small increases.