Environmental Impact Studies

December 20, 2025

Water Usage and Aquifer Impact

Key Research Studies

  • Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) Water Consumption Study (2025)
    HARC projects Texas data centers will consume 49 billion gallons in 2025, rising to 399 billion gallons by 2030 - representing 6.6% of Texas’ total water use
    Texas Tribune Coverage
    Newsweek Report

  • “Data Drain: The Land and Water Impacts of the AI Boom”
    Lincoln Institute of Land Policy (October 2025)
    Analyzes how data centers in Texas would draw down the largest US reservoir by 16 feet annually, with water lost primarily to evaporation rather than treatable wastewater
    Read Full Report

  • San Antonio Water System Data Center Analysis (2024-2025)
    Two San Antonio data centers consumed 463 million gallons in 2023-2024, equivalent to tens of thousands of households, while residents faced Stage 3 water restrictions
    San Antonio Current Article

Specific Consumption Data

  • Mid-sized data centers use approximately 300,000 gallons daily; large facilities can require up to 4.5 million gallons per day
  • A single data center in Newton County, Georgia uses 500,000 gallons per day - 10% of the entire county’s consumption
  • Each 100-word AI prompt consumes approximately 519 milliliters of water (University of California, Riverside research)

Expert Analysis

  • Margaret Cook, Houston Advanced Research Center
    “These centers are showing up in places that are very water-stressed. There’s no requirement for them to have conversations with communities about how much water they’ll use.”

  • Robert Mace, The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, Texas State University
    “People don’t think of data centers as industrial water users, but they are. Once that water evaporates, it’s just gone.”

Energy Consumption and Grid Impact

Texas-Specific Grid Analysis

  • Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) Forecast
    ERCOT anticipates data centers will consume over 12,700 megawatts in 2026, with data centers continuing as the major area of new growth
    Texas Scorecard Report

  • National Energy Projections
    US data centers expected to account for up to 12% of total electricity consumption by 2030, up from around 4% in 2023

Water-Energy Nexus

  • Using natural gas to meet anticipated electricity load requires 50 times more water than solar generation, and 1,000 times more water than wind
  • Up to 43% of data center electricity in the US is used for cooling systems

Economic Impact and Job Creation

National Economic Impact Study

  • PwC Economic Impact Study for Data Center Coalition (2017-2021)
    Full Report (PDF)
    Industry added $2.1 trillion to US GDP from 2017-2021. Direct employment grew 17% while overall US employment grew only 2%. Each data center job supports more than six jobs elsewhere in the economy

Rural Community Case Studies

  • Quincy, Washington (Microsoft/Sabey Data Centers)
    NPR Report (August 2025)
    Data centers pay 75% of Quincy’s property taxes, funding new fire station, library, hospital, and high school. However, each facility runs with fewer than 50 technicians after construction
    NPR Article

  • Virginia Data Centers Economic Study
    Richmond Federal Reserve (July 2025)
    Virginia data centers supported 45,460 jobs and $15.3 billion in economic output in 2021. In 2021, nearly twice as many people were employed in construction as in operations
    Richmond Fed Report

  • Loudoun County, Virginia
    Property values climbed more than 70% in the past decade, with data center investments playing a key role. Northern Virginia hosts about 300 data center facilities, accounting for roughly two-thirds of global internet traffic

Job Creation Reality

  • Brookings Institution Analysis (December 2025)
    Interview with Nicol Turner Lee
    Most jobs come during construction phase (surveyors, electricians, plumbers, laborers). Permanent operational jobs are highly technical and limited in number
    Brookings Report

Texas Statutes

Federal Regulations

State Policy Developments

  • California recently passed legislation requiring new data centers to report projected water use before operations. Minnesota requires consultation with environmental agencies to ensure adequate water supply
  • Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 6 allowing power cutoffs to data centers during grid emergencies, but no equivalent water use regulations exist

Community Resources and Templates

For Public Comment

Understanding Water Rights in Texas

Stay Updated

Texas currently does not require companies to report future water consumption projections, making it difficult for communities to plan. Only historical consumption is tracked

We are actively researching and filing open records requests. New resources are added as they become available.

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All citations link to source materials. If you have additional research or documents to contribute, please contact us.

Last Updated: December 20, 2025

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