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 wate
While data centers have long existed in California, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly increased demand for new data centers over the last five years, and the pace is expected to increase through the rest of the decade.
Without urgent water efficiency measures, carbon emissions associated with water usage in California are likely to spike in coming years, as changing sources of water supply and population growth drive up energy-intensive urban and agricultural water needs.
With the economic toll of California's drought expected to hit $2.74 billion for 2015, water suppliers, investors and urban and agricultural users are seeking ways to reduce water consumption.
As our state faces some of the most severe drought conditions in its history, Next 10 wants to issue a new challenge to Californians: can you create a plan to make sure there's enough water for everyone?
