Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be new to us, but its playbook isn’t. And neither is the cast of characters behind it growth. Big Tech is racing to build thousands of water-hungry and energy-intensive data centers to power their AI products. Oil and gas giants are racing to use Big Tech’s growing energy demands as an excuse to expand fossil fuels. And our elected officials across the political spectrum are jumping on the bandwagon. 

Once again, moneyed interests are sacrificing our health, our environment, and our communities to make more money.

Across the country, communities are fighting planned data centers and the dirty energy projects proposed to power them. At a recent event, we discussed the threat AI poses to our water and climate, and how we’re fighting back. We spoke with Annie Vinatieri, Pennsylvania activist and Food & Water Watch volunteer; Ben Murray, Food & Water Watch Senior Researcher; and Alex Beauchamp, our Northern Region Organizing Director.

AI Is Creating a Boom of Water-Hungry Data Centers

Artificial intelligence doesn’t just exist in our devices. It’s made possible by data centers, massive warehouses packed with ultra-powerful computers. These computers use way more energy and run way hotter than our normal computers — which also means they demand a lot of water to keep cool. Hundreds of billions of gallons a year, in fact.

Notably, data centers are using our precious clean drinking water for this cooling. “As of 2023, nearly 80% of the water consumption of Google AI data centers in the U.S. came from drinking water sources,” Ben told us. This is especially harmful in places like Arizona, where data centers’ water consumption is worsening existing water scarcity problems.

And while cooling requires huge amounts of water, generating electricity to power data centers requires even more. Electricity generation makes up nearly 75% of data centers’ overall water needs. That’s because most data centers run on fossil-fueled electricity, which uses exponentially more water than solar or wind. 

Data Centers Are Driving More Dirty Energy

Big Tech is turning to dirty energy to meet AI’s “insatiable appetite for energy.” Researchers project that the technology’s energy use will skyrocket in the coming years. “By 2028, AI data centers could consume around 300 terawatts of energy annually,” Ben explained. That’s enough to power all the households in the state of California for the same amount of time twice over.

Across the country, tech companies are already extending the lives of coal power plants and turning to nuclear energy to power new data centers. Big Oil and Gas understands the opportunity this presents, especially amid increasingly cheap and growing renewables. Giants like Chevron and ExxonMobil are getting in the game. 

“Big Tech needs Big Oil to provide the energy for data centers, just as much as Big Oil needs Big Tech to provide an increase in energy demand,” Ben emphasized.

All this new demand, plus the new infrastructure needed to support it, will raise electricity rates for you and me. Data centers are contributing to skyrocketing power bills across the country. 

In short, families across the U.S. are subsidizing AI’s growth through their electricity bills, and the higher prices we pay for energy will directly benefit Big Tech and Big Oil. Meanwhile, we will have less water, more pollution, and even greater climate chaos.

Democratic Leaders Join Trump’s Push for AI and Dirty Energy

The Trump administration has handed a platter of policy gifts to Big Oil and Big Tech — and many Democrats are joining in. “As we have politicians across the ideological spectrum embracing data centers as a kind of the economic future, we’re seeing a huge shift towards building more dirty energy,” said Alex.

In New York, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul is laying out the red carpet for Big Tech by pushing dirty energy. 

At the start of her governorship, Hochul signalled a sea change on climate, Alex explained. She quickly shut down two fracked gas power plants and has signed several climate measures into law. But now, Hochul may greenlight two fracked gas pipelines that we helped stop years ago, and she’s promoting dangerous nuclear power. 

“It’s really a shift from what we’ve seen in previous years, and a shift, I think, driven largely by this AI hype machine,” Alex said. “The governor, on one hand, is talking about keeping the lights on, and then almost in the next breath says, We need to build this stuff to attract business investment in the state, and that’s really to attract AI data centers to the state.” The messaging is about reliability, but the policy is about catering to Big Tech.

Hochul’s not alone. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer passed tax breaks for data centers, while Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is recruiting data center developers to the state. And Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro has unleashed a suite of policies to bring the industry to the Keystone State.

Fighting Data Centers on the Ground in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is now an epicenter of the data center epidemic. It’s third in the nation for announced projects. Annie Vinatieri, an activist in Sugarloaf Township, is seeing the explosion firsthand as proposals have begun flooding the region.

For Annie, AI’s incursion is a new verse in the same old song. Anthracite coal mining had taken over in the 19th century, before its collapse left a legacy of economic hardship and pollution in Luzerne County.

“A couple of thousand yards from my house, we have the Nescopeck Creek, which is polluted daily,” she told us. Acid mine drainage still gushes into the creek from old underground coal mines.

Now, she worries data centers will threaten the region’s already-polluted water supplies. She’s also concerned about how new data centers and related infrastructure will raise electricity rates and destroy farmlands. 

Despite these issues, Pennsylvania leaders on both sides of the aisle are barrelling forward with AI and data centers. Republicans and Democrats — including Shapiro — are pushing state bills to fast-track AI, data center, and energy projects. 

“Greed is bipartisan,” Annie emphasized.

Stemming the Tide of Data Centers, Together

In New York and Pennsylvania, Food & Water Watch is joining allies to fight against fossil fuels and Big Tech. In New York, our organizers are working tirelessly to oppose Hochul’s pro-gas, pro-nuclear agenda.

“We’ve flooded her office with calls. We’ve ramped up this massive bird-dog effort where we’re everywhere the Governor goes,” Alex said. “This really is like a thing every day — a constant drumbeat, urging her to reject this stuff.”

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, Annie is leading grassroots organizations in her community and is working with Food & Water Watch to stop data center projects. Community organizing in her area has blocked data centers and fought for moratoriums.

She had a warning for the event attendees from around the country, but also powerful advice. 

“If you don’t think it’s coming to your backyard, you’re wrong. It is,” Annie said. “Knowing that, go to local meetings, get to know your neighbors, truly. It really starts at a very basic level. Connect with your local reps, get their take on the issue, hold their feet to the fire, be that person who calls all the time. Don’t underestimate the power of an educated, activated population.”

The AI-data center boom is not inevitable, nor is our country’s doubling down on fossil fuels. Equipped with knowledge and the strength of organizing, we can fight these corporations and defend our livable future.

Watch the Full Event

Check out the recording of “AI’s Hostile Takeover” to learn more about the threat of AI and data centers, and how you can take action to fight them!

Resources Shared at the Event

• Read Ben’s research on AI and data centers! Check out his article “Artificial Intelligence: Big Tech’s Big Threat to Our Water and Climate” and his fact sheet, “A No Brainer: How AI’s Energy and Water Footprints Threaten Climate Progress.”
• Learn more about the dangers of Big Tech’s plan to power data centers with nuclear energy in this article: “Big Tech Wants to Bring Back Nuclear. It’s (Still) an Awful Idea.” 
• Check out this map of proposed data centers in Pennsylvania.
• Join us for our next Livable Future LIVE on Wednesday, October 15, 7-8 pm ET. We’ll be hosting authors Sharon Udasin and Rachel Frazin to discuss their book, Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America. (Use the code WEBINAR with Island Press for 30% off the book!) RSVP for the event here!
• Your generosity helps fight for a livable future for all. Donate to Food & Water Watch!