Water plays a crucial role in energy management within data centers and should be brought into discussions about utility strategies.
In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, data centers have become a cornerstone of modern society. From generative AI to cloud computing, the demand for digital infrastructure is soaring, driving the growth of data centers. However, this growth poses a significant challenge for utilities, particularly in regions with limited or drought-prone water supplies.
To address this issue, utilities are adopting an integrated approach, focusing on early coordination with data center operators during the planning and design phases. This collaboration allows for the evaluation of cooling strategies, system loads, and energy and water requirements, optimizing operations for local conditions and resource capacity.
A crucial aspect of this approach is the modeling and forecasting of regional water and energy impacts during infrastructure planning. By identifying potential stress points in supply systems before development proceeds, utilities can ensure the long-term resilience of their resources.
Water source quality is another critical factor. Utilities are assessing the potential for variable blending of reclaimed and potable water to optimize water use while conserving fresh water. Additionally, the implementation of closed-loop or recycled water cooling systems is being encouraged where feasible, reducing total fresh water withdrawals and environmental impact.
Real-time water and power use monitoring also plays a vital role in improving operational forecasting, compliance, and resource management. Co-locating data centers with existing water facilities, such as wastewater treatment plants, can supply reclaimed water and offer infrastructure advantages.
Utilities are also advancing regulatory measures, such as requiring water efficiency, reuse, and conservation standards for new data centers, especially in drought-prone areas. They are also requiring offsetting water conservation investments and revising utility demand forecasts and resource planning to account accurately for rapid increases in data center loads.
Engaging community and municipal leaders proactively is another key strategy. By transparently managing resource impacts and demonstrating environmental stewardship, utilities can reduce opposition and address environmental concerns associated with data center growth.
In dry climates, the use of adiabatic cooling systems and hybrid fluid coolers can reduce water consumption by data centers using traditional evaporative cooling by 10-fold. Real-time monitoring of water and power use is also being explored as a tool for improving forecasting and compliance reporting.
Transitioning a 100-MW data center from water-cooled to air-cooled chillers could increase electrical demand by over 10,000 kW. Proactive planning that includes utilities can help operators maintain compliance, reduce total resource use, and protect their long-term license to operate.
Failure to manage water-related risks can delay or block data center projects, strain community relations, and increase operational costs. Cooling systems are among the most resource-intensive components of data center operations.
As AI workloads require far greater computing power than conventional applications, increasing heat load across data centers, the trade-offs between water consumption and energy demand in cooling systems have significant implications for utilities and grid planning.
Data center power demand is expected to grow 50% by 2027 and potentially 165% by 2030. Total onsite and offsite water use associated with AI infrastructure is projected to reach 4.2 to 6.6 billion cubic meters annually.
By incorporating both energy and water impacts into their planning processes, utilities will be better positioned to support responsible data center growth while maintaining long-term resource resilience. This holistic and integrated approach will ensure the sustainability of both digital infrastructure and community water resources.
[1] Source: Utility Dive [2] Source: Greentech Media [3] Source: Electric Light & Power [4] Source: Forbes [5] Source: Data Center Dynamics
- Utilities are collaborating with data center operators to optimize operations using data-and-cloud-computing, focusing on cooling strategies, system loads, and energy and water requirements, which aligns with the advancements in environmental-science and technology.
- To ensure the long-term resilience of water resources, utilities are employing real-time water and power use monitoring, relying on data centers being co-located with existing water facilities, and adopting closed-loop or recycled water cooling systems in industry.
- As AI workloads increase heat load across data centers, the trade-offs between water consumption and energy demand in cooling systems are significant for utilities and grid planning, and this necessitates an integrated approach that considers both energy and water impacts in science and finance.
