ELECTRICITY:
- 2025: Texas data centers collectively use 5-7 times more electricity than the entire City of Waco
- By 2030: Data centers will use approximately 195 times more electricity than Waco
- Data centers need industrial-grade power infrastructure
Data centers negotiate bulk power rate contracts
Power Sources Used by US Data Centers (2025)
- Natural Gas: 40-42% (largest source)
- Renewables (Solar/Wind/Hydro): 24%
- Nuclear: 19-20%
- Coal: 15-20%
Projected Changes by 2030:
- Natural Gas: Likely to remain dominant short-term but declining percentage
- Renewables: Expected to grow to 30-40% of mix
- Nuclear: Significant expansion through SMRs and plant restarts
- Coal: Continued decline
- Battery Storage: Exponential growth as costs decrease
WATER:
- 2025: Texas data centers collectively use 2.5 times more water than the entire City of Waco
By 2030, could use 2.8-15.3 times more water than Waco
Usage Type:
- Traditional Data Centers: High water consumption through evaporative cooling
- Modern Closed-Loop Systems: 90% reduction in direct water usage
- Air Cooling Systems: Minimal direct water use but higher electricity (indirect water use)
- Immersion Cooling: Emerging technology with 90% water reduction potential
This article was created by a journalist with the assistance of AI.
