Where’s the Power? Wait… Where’s the Water?
The Data Center Conversation We Need to Have
There is no question that data centers are changing the landscape of our communities.
They are changing how we think about energy.
They are changing how we think about infrastructure.
They are changing how we think about the future of technology.
And with every new data center announcement, the same questions come up:
Where is all the power going to come from?
How much water are these facilities using?
Can our infrastructure handle the demand?
These are fair questions.
In fact, they are conversations we should be having.
But before we decide whether data centers are the problem or the solution, we need to understand what we are actually talking about.
Because words like megawatts, gigawatts, grid capacity, and water consumption can sound intimidating when they are taken out of context.
So let's break it down.
First, What Exactly Is a Watt, Kilowatt, Megawatt, and Gigawatt?
Before we start throwing around terms like megawatts and gigawatts, let's slow down for a minute.
Because if you are not in the energy, construction, or data center world, these terms probably sound like another language.
A watt (W) is the basic unit used to measure power.
Think of it as the smallest building block.
A kilowatt (kW) equals 1,000 watts.
This is where most people interact with electricity every day.
Your home does not run on a handful of watts. Your appliances, HVAC system, electronics, and lighting all add up to kilowatts of usage.
A typical home may use several kilowatts at any given moment, with higher usage during peak times when heating, cooling, and appliances are running.
Now we start moving into larger infrastructure.
A megawatt (MW) equals 1,000 kilowatts, or 1 million watts.
To put that into perspective:
A large commercial building may use hundreds of kilowatts.
A smaller data center may require multiple megawatts.
A hyperscale data center campus can require hundreds of megawatts.
Then we move into an even bigger conversation.
A gigawatt (GW) equals 1,000 megawatts, or 1 billion watts.
When you hear that a future data center campus may require a gigawatt of power, that is not talking about a single building.
That is talking about an entire ecosystem of buildings, electrical infrastructure, substations, generation, and cooling systems working together.
The numbers sound massive because the infrastructure supporting our digital world is massive.
But the important question is not just:
"How much power does it use?"
The better question is:
How are we creating, managing, and improving the way we use that power?
Where’s the Power?
The headlines have been loud.
"Data centers are draining the grid."
"AI is creating an energy crisis."
And while energy demand is absolutely a challenge, there is another side of the story that often gets overlooked.
Data centers are not simply consuming energy.
They are also investing heavily in energy solutions.
The industry is moving toward:
Renewable energy agreements
Solar and wind procurement
Battery energy storage systems
Microgrids
Behind-the-meter generation
More efficient cooling technologies
Advanced energy management systems
The future data center may not just be a customer of the electrical grid.
It may become part of the solution.
Imagine critical infrastructure that can generate, store, and manage its own energy.
Imagine facilities that can support grid reliability during peak demand.
Imagine technology infrastructure that helps create a more resilient energy system.
That conversation is already happening.
Wait... Where’s the Water?
The next question usually comes quickly:
"What about the water?"
Again, this is a fair question.
Data centers produce heat.
A lot of it.
The more computing power we need, especially with artificial intelligence workloads, the more important cooling becomes.
Historically, data centers have relied on cooling technologies such as:
Air cooling systems
Mechanical chillers
Cooling towers
But the industry is evolving.
Newer technologies are focused on:
Liquid cooling
Closed-loop cooling systems
Water efficiency strategies
Heat reuse
More sustainable cooling designs
The industry understands something important:
Water is not just a data center issue.
It is a community issue.
Every industry, every business, and every community has to consider how resources are used.
The question is not:
"Does this industry use water?"
The question is:
"How responsibly are we using it, and how are we improving?"
Context Matters
One of the biggest challenges with these conversations is that we often look at one industry in isolation.
Every industry has a resource footprint.
Manufacturing uses energy.
Agriculture uses water.
Transportation uses fuel.
Commercial developments use electricity and resources.
Even a golf course has a significant water footprint depending on location, climate, and irrigation needs.
The point is not that one industry is better or worse.
The point is that every industry requires resources.
The real conversation should be:
How do we balance growth, innovation, and responsible resource management?
Data Centers Are More Than Buildings
A data center is not just a building full of servers.
It is infrastructure supporting some of the biggest technological advancements happening today.
Data centers support:
Artificial intelligence
Healthcare innovation
Financial systems
Scientific research
National security
Global communication
Cloud computing
Autonomous technologies
The demand is not slowing down.
The question is how we build responsibly.
The Challenge Nobody Talks About: The People
This is the conversation I think deserves more attention.
Everyone is talking about:
Where will we build?
How much power will we need?
How much water will we use?
But there is another question:
Who is going to build it?
Infrastructure does not happen without people.
We need:
Electrical engineers
Power professionals
MEP leaders
Commissioning experts
Skilled trades
Construction executives
Utility experts
Operations professionals
The future of data centers is not just about land, capital, and technology.
It is about talent.
Because the biggest infrastructure projects in the world still require people who know how to design them, build them, power them, and operate them.
The Real Question
The question is not:
"Do data centers use power and water?"
Of course they do.
Every modern industry does.
The question is:
Can we build the infrastructure of the future in a way that creates innovation, strengthens communities, and uses resources responsibly?
Because the demand for technology is not slowing down.
Artificial intelligence is not slowing down.
Cloud computing is not slowing down.
The future is being built right now.
The question is whether we are prepared with the energy solutions, infrastructure, and people needed to build it.
Sources & Further Reading
This article was developed using research and reporting from:
JLL Global Data Center Outlook Reports
Research covering data center growth, energy demand, grid constraints, power availability, and sustainability strategies.International Energy Agency (IEA)
Research examining electricity demand growth from data centers and artificial intelligence.U.S. Department of Energy
Studies focused on data center energy consumption, efficiency, and infrastructure impact.Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Research examining data center energy usage and efficiency improvements.Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
Research on grid reliability, electricity demand, and future infrastructure planning.Uptime Institute Sustainability Reports
Research on data center efficiency, sustainability, and operational improvements.Technology Sustainability Reports from Google, Microsoft, and Meta
Information on renewable energy investments, water efficiency, and sustainability initiatives.
The goal is not to ignore the challenges.
The goal is to have a smarter conversation about them.
Because the future will require more technology.
And more importantly, it will require the people, infrastructure, and innovation to support it.
Written by: Roxxann Sczepanik
