REPORT: The Intersection of Data Center Development, Water Availability, and Environmental Justice In California

“As demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing accelerates, large-scale data centers which require significant water resources for cooling are increasingly being sited in regions already facing constrained supplies due to climate change and reliance on imported water. A new report by Next 10, led by researchers at Santa Clara University, finds that California’s rapidly expanding data center industry is increasingly intersecting with regions facing water scarcity as well as environmental injustice—raising concerns about long-term water sustainability and community vulnerability. The report, The Intersection of Data Center Development, Water Availability, and Environmental Justice In California, is the first comprehensive analysis of every known operating and planned data center in California through a combined water access and environmental justice lens.