Over 60% of U.S. AI Data Centers Planned for Drought-Stricken Regions, Report Shows

According to a Guardian report on June 8, more than 60 percent of planned AI data center projects in the United States are being located in areas experiencing severe drought. Among 809 planned data center projects, 517 are situated in regions that have faced sustained drought over the past year, according to analysis firm Cleanview and U.S. federal data.

Large AI data centers require substantial quantities of purified water for server cooling, with some facilities consuming up to 5 million gallons daily. The sector's water consumption is projected to surge from approximately 17 billion gallons in 2023 to 73 billion gallons by 2028, according to research estimates. Dutch central bank economist Alex de Vries warned that while data centers' resource consumption is significant globally, the concentrated local impact can be disproportionate, particularly in already water-stressed regions facing power grid strain or heat-related challenges.