Meeting the moment on data centers, electricity and water

Aerial view of data centers in Ashburn, Virginia.

The rapid growth in AI and data centers in the United States is putting unprecedented pressure on our electricity and water systems. It's also exposing a deeper challenge: the outdated rules, planning processes and incentives that govern our electricity and our water resources are no longer equipped to meet today's needs.

The decisions we make now will determine whether data center growth strengthens these systems — or further strains them. Without major reforms and new policies, data centers will deepen our reliance on polluting fossil fuels, create greater strain on water resources, raise costs for consumers and increase health-harming pollution.

But there is another path: We can proactively build the transformation we need. Our work focuses on reforming the policies, planning and markets that determine how data centers are built and powered. By doing so, we can accelerate clean energy buildout, strengthen and improve the grid, enhance water resilience and deliver lasting benefits for communities.

Our work on electricity and data centers

We advocate for reforms that unleash clean power and efficiency, ensure data centers pay their fair share of costs, enforce strong air pollution protections, and use data and transparency to make the case for better community outcomes from data centers.

Our work on water and data centers

Instead of placing more pressure on scarce resources, data centers should be community-centered and water-positive, restoring more water to local watersheds and communities than they use. We advance policies that improve local water conditions, strengthen water security and leave communities better off than they were before development occurred.

Our experts

MEDIA CONTACT

Ronna Kelly

(415) 293-6161 (office)

(510) 834-2563 (mobile)