The A.I. Daily
AI infrastructure's resource toll: soaring data center energy and water use
The report examines AI data centers' electricity, water and land consumption. The IEA estimates data centers used about 415 TWh in 2024, roughly 1.5% of global demand, possibly rising to 945 TWh by 2030; Rystad Energy says cooling used 222 billion litres of water in 2025. Finland police are investigating the clearing of 330 hectares of forest for a Google data center, Norway fears power shortages, and US localities weigh restrictions.