How To Find Millions Of Gallons Of Water

Microsoft is building an AI data center on Lake Michigan. It may use eight million gallons of water a year. There is at least some chance that state and local officials won’t approve the structure needed for this to work. Relocating such a project would require substantial funding. Because of the high water requirement, finding an appropriate location may be very difficult.

AI data centers are being painted into a box. No matter how powerful the companies that operate them are, or how much money is available, two things are necessary —and are hard to find together. These are abundant, clear, fresh water, and massive amounts of electricity. 

The Microsoft data center management plans to have access to one of the largest freshwater systems in the world. Given that, the large amount of water needed may not seem like much. However, the issue of pollution is not simple. The fact that water may be returned to the lake at a higher temperature than when it was used poses a hazard to wildlife in and around the lake. 

Water For Electricity

Large bodies of water have two potential benefits to AI data centers. One is for cooling. The other is for electricity generation. Moving water is a primary means of creating electricity. Rivers in and out of lakes are often good sounding, assuming some dam assembly. 

Water should be on the list, along with fossil fuels and renewables, as a necessary component for building a huge data center. The effects of water use may not be as clear as the use of coal, but they should be.

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