Panic over data centers is wildly exaggerated — they use less water than golf courses and less energy than the USA’s fridges (only 4.63 years left)

NY Post ^ | 6/16/26 | Rikki Schlott

[Libloather]

Data centers have become the chic new enemy among activists.

Critics claim the centers are using inordinate amounts of electricity and water to power artificial intelligence, inspiring protesters to take to the streets and Democratic lawmakers to head to Albany to stymie their development.

However, some experts say the anti-data center push is more of a moral panic than an empirical one, often based on speculative and sometimes bunk projections.

It seems that data centers are the boogeyman onto which larger fears about the impact of AI are being projected.

“The estimates of future data-center development may be overestimated by a factor of three to five,” Jonathan Koomey, an energy researcher who has been studying data-center electricity usage for decades, told The Post. “It is not as simple as saying, ‘We don’t want data centers to use water.’ You have to think about the trade-offs.”

Concerns about data centers have largely centered around the idea that they are massive guzzlers of energy and water, which (alongside aircon) is used to cool banks of servers and electical equipment.

Worries about water consumption have been popularized via an oft-repeated statistic about the water consumption of a Chilean data center from journalist Karen Hao’s book, “Empire of AI.” The only problem: Hao had accidentally exaggerated the water usage by a factor of 1,000.

According to the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, just 0.2% of New York state’s water and 3.5% of the state’s electricity were used by data centers in 2025.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Conspiracy; Science
KEYWORDS: data; energy; refrigerator; skynetdoesntdrink; water

[Libloather]

The eco-warriors have piped down a bit. Data centers seem to be a priority now.

[butlerweave]

but why all of a sudden do they need SO MANY DATA CENTERS

[Red6]

There always needs to be a boogieman.

[algore]

because the demands of the few outweigh the desires of the many.

[Blood of Tyrants]

And why are they targeting small rural areas with fewer environmental and zoning restrictions?

[Jonty30]

It is probably because the potential is so gargantuan and the technology exists now.

[fruser1]

Well, per the fridges, it’s not like everyone went from not having to having one at the same time. If they have their own on site generation there isn’t much of a prob other than permitting. The only real difficulty would be if you want to hook up that generation to the grid or have the grid as a backup.

[Tench_Coxe]

The question no one seems to give a definitive answer to. But I could guess: CBDC, Digital ID, 15 minute cities, geofencing, kill switches in cars. Trump's term ends in 2028. I'm sure the enabling acts legislation is waiting on the shelf.

[DIRTYSECRET]

What does this have to do with golfers?

Oh I get it. Most golfers are rich democrats. Provable?

[Terry L Smith]

Rural areas require less security than a downtown operation.

Oh, btw, whose farms are getting bought?

[Mariner]

Google AI A one-gigawatt (1 GW) data center consumes an estimated 5 million to 19 million gallons of water daily for direct cooling, plus an additional 28.5 million gallons daily of indirect water consumed via the electrical grid to generate its power. That's enough water for a city of 50,000 just for direct use, not inclusive of power generation.

[Mariner]

There aren’t any golf courses that use that much water, not even in Vegas...or Phoenix.

[Donbue]

“Use” water? Like it disappears….gone, destroyed….. when ‘used”?
Ive been hearing this nonsense for four to five decades.
“Fix the faucet drip, you’re waiting water’ tell me where it went? Outer space? How about right back into the ground where it came from.
Sheesh!

[E. Pluribus Unum]

less energy than the USA’s fridges

A little indirection there.

[hillarys cankles]

There always needs to be a boogieman.

——————————————————————

So you think it’s all overblown? I’d love to hear how the public is just making “data” centers a boogeyman.

[Mariner]

““Use” water? Like it disappears….gone, destroyed….. when ‘used”?”

It’s evaporated so it can rain in Africa.

But your aquifer won’t see it again for a thousand years. Nor your local watershed.

[mouse1]

Oh, btw, whose farms are getting bought?...

Family farms are being bought out. They didnt have much choice after being pushed out by the industrial farms. Sell at profit or lose everything.

[Revel]

Yeah that’s why they have to restart old nuclear power plants to power them. I am way past being gullible enough to believe the lies.

[Retrofitted]

Read this the other day: https://www.gadgetreview.com/china-used-chatgpt-to-stoke-us-data-center-backlash-but-nobody-listened

China’s anti-center shenanigans didn’t work (folks started fighting against them anyway), but it does make me wonder if data centers might be more valuable than we think. After all, if our enemy doesn’t want us to have them, maybe we should go to Wal-Mart and buy a few. ;)

[BitWielder1]

Actual Numbers would be useful in news reports but they hardly ever do that.