WITH MORE THAN A DOZEN data center projects taking shape in Santa Clara County, local leaders have offered assurances that potential environmental impacts will be thoroughly assessed before any new facility gets switched on. But when it comes to water usage, a group of Bay Area researchers is warning such environmental reviews have an alarming number of blind spots.
In a report released Thursday, researchers with Santa Clara University and San Francisco-based policy nonprofit Next 10 conducted a comprehensive statewide survey of data centers, amid a rapid AI-fueled buildout that has led to concerns about potential strains on utilities, such as power and water. The report found that spotty legal requirements for environmental review make it difficult to predict the potential impact of new data centers on the state’s water system.
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