The Hidden Water Geography of U.S. Hyperscale Data Centers in the AI Era
Guidi and Dominici · 2026-06-05
Water use by data centers is routinely reported as a single footprint, but water is consumed through two physically distinct pathways: at the site for cooling and in the power system that generates electricity. We mapped both pathways for 472 U.S. hyperscale facilities by linking facility locations to electricity regions, hydrologic basins, and water-stress data.
Guidi and Dominici. 2026-06-05. The Hidden Water Geography of U.S. Hyperscale Data Centers in the AI Era. https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.02531 (AI & Environment Resource Hub; record paper-489; collection snapshot 2026-09-15).
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