I Was Wrong About Data Center Water Consumption
9 days ago
- #energy
- #data-centers
- #water-consumption
- The author initially underestimated data center water consumption by misreading a Berkeley Lab report, leading to a significant discrepancy in reported figures.
- The Berkeley Lab report's high estimate of 579 million gallons per day includes hydroelectric dam reservoir evaporation, which is debatable as it may not all be attributable to data centers.
- Thermoelectric power plants' water consumption is much lower than the Berkeley Lab's estimates when hydroelectric evaporation is excluded, suggesting a more accurate figure might be around 234 million gallons per day.
- Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) by major data center operators for renewable energy sources like wind and solar could further reduce the actual water consumption figures.
- Water consumption estimates must consider regional differences and the specific context of watersheds, as averages can be misleading without accounting for local conditions and competing uses.