The AI boom and rapid scaling of data centers in the U.S. has impressed supply questions for water systems throughout the country. Utilities are asking how they can balance the potential economic upsides of a data center in their service area with the day-to-day needs of their community. What does the water demand look like for these data facilities and what technology are they leveraging for efficient use? How does that dovetail with the energy needs? And what strategies could utilities employ to have their cake and eat it too when it comes to serving their community and enabling industrial user growth?

Learning Objectives:

• Evaluate data center water demand and impacts on local water systems.
• Analyze the water–energy relationship in data center operations and efficiency strategies.
• Identify utility strategies to balance community needs with data center growth.