Deep in the Desert, A.I Data Centers Threaten Southwest Resources

In an already arid climate, emerging data centers endanger the stability of a water resource used by millions of people. The Colorado River, a victim of Big Tech's relentless pursuit of profits, provides water to approximately 40 million people across seven states. Honing in on the Grand Canyon State, Arizona, local government officials wisely decided against the implementation of "Project Blue" —an Amazon-backed initiative. Lobbyists and proponents of the project continually cited economic development and employment opportunities as a way to deflect attention away from the climate consequences. Simply put, large data centers, akin to "Project Blue", utilize millions of gallons of water nearly every day. With the rise of artificial intelligence technologies, the trend of using up a depleting water source doesn't show any signs of slowing down soon. Importantly, water going to these massive centers is water not going to Americans who need it most.

Data centers are commonplace in Arizona. Companies are looking for vast amounts of land, so it stands to reason that a seemingly endless desert would be the ideal place for a stadium-sized warehouse filled with immense computing power. Unfortunately, these computers need to keep cool. That's precisely where the water comes into play. In the desert, a technique known as adiabatic cooling employs water-moistened pads to cool the surrounding air. The most crucial step in the process is the copious amounts of H20 used. In Goodyear, Arizona, just one data center's annual gallon consumption equates to 670 Goodyear households.

In addition to the land, Arizona offers a profitable tax environment for businesses for two main reasons. First, the state offers tax exemptions on equipment and power under the Transaction Privilege Tax. Second, there is no inventory tax either, leading to cheaper warehouses and centers.

The data centers popping up across the country are already in areas with high levels of water stress. Over time, the rapid growth of these centers cannot be sustained. Indeed, the red line is sooner than you may think. Although it is impossible to fully know the extent to which data centers threaten the Southwest, we have already seen some signs of water depletion. The Central Arizona Project states, "The Colorado River Basin continues to experience drought and the impacts of hotter and drier conditions." A.I will not help the ongoing shortage. According to a report from Western Resource Advocates, "data centers in Arizona could grow from 4.5 billion gallons in 2030 to 7 billion gallons annually by 2035, which is enough water to support nearly 200,000 people per year."

The obvious answer to the issue is to follow in Tucson's footsteps: say no. However, most cities in Arizona cannot afford to do that. Big Tech offers them an undeniable boost to local revenue that saying no to is damn near impossible. City Council members in Goodyear face various challenges as Microsoft bargains for more and more each year. For a small city like Goodyear, they cannot turn down lucrative deals that bring their constituents much-needed jobs. So, where does the solution come from? The answer is in renewable technologies. It's clear that data centers will always be necessary and will always persist, yet improving the process to ensure that water stays available to the 40 million people who depend on it is crucial. There are a couple of ways to go about reforming the operations. For example, utilizing rainwater instead of groundwater will keep the Colorado River safer as time goes on.

Big Tech continues to profit from the exploitation of resources, this time at the detriment of American citizens in the Southwest. However, it isn't all hopeless. Tucson fought back at the local level and was able to successfully fend off intrusion from an Amazon-led initiative with millions of dollars in resources behind it. Moreover, the implementation of new, innovative methods of cooling could improve the damaging process. Through it all, one thing is clear: the unsustainable practices used today simply cannot continue.