2026-09-25 03:07 UTC
Worth noting that generating electricity is typically the second leading user of water behind agriculture. A 5 -> 15 percent bump will consume a lot more water unless new generation doesn’t spin a turbine with steam, just not at the data center itself.
Replies (1)
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@usernamesAreTricky@lemmy.ml 2026-09-25 04:46
That’s much more of a fair argument than the cooling loop water that I haven’t heard articulated. Keeping the old fossil fuel plants alive does keep that water use there. That being said, the majority of the new grid capacity is solar and wind which are the two types of power generation that don’t need to really use steam. Was about 88% solar + wind in 2025 capacity additions in the US and 91% from solar + wind + battery in Q1 2026