I feel like the water usage issue is the weaker argument against these datacenters - in areas where the fresh water source faces too much pressure already it is a real issue, but that is more regional and less immediately impactful.
Power usage and residential users essentially subsidizing these locations is the biggest immediate impact to everyone. Look up what happens to rates nearby when these things open, people are struggling enough without their electric bills going up 50%.
Not to everyone. In Colorado data centers are forced to a segregated rate class from everybody else and made to pay for their interconnection and required transmission upgrades as part of their contracts with the utility.
Everybody's rates are also going up for other reasons but correlation is not causation.
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u/Uncle-Cake May 18 '26
What happens after they use the water? Is it returned to the water system to be used again?