A massive
data centre
is the newest concern for the residents of
Goodyear
,
Arizona
, US. The Microsoft-owned data centre that supports its
cloud computing
and
artificial intelligence
(AI) efforts is reportedly using up the desert town's
water supply
.
According to a report by the Atlantic, Microsoft's Goodyear facility was specifically designed to be used by
Microsoft
and ChatGPT maker
OpenAI
(which is heavily-backed by Microsoft).
Replying to this allegation, both companies have declined to comment, the report noted.
Why data centres need water
Training AI consumes massive amounts of energy and its environmental impact goes beyond electricity. The immense energy consumption of artificial intelligence (AI) is well-known, but its environmental impact goes beyond just electricity. For this, data centres that are needed to train AI also consume a significant (and often hidden) amount of water.
Due to the high amount of power they use, data centres are prone to overheating. To prevent this, engineers rely on water-based cooling systems. This crucial aspect of AI infrastructure comes with a significant water footprint, raising concerns about its sustainability, especially in water-scarce regions.
How Microsoft’s data centre in Arizona can be a concern for the residents
Microsoft's Goodyear data centre in Arizona reportedly exemplifies this issue. The company has been criticised for its lack of transparency regarding the centre's water usage and it has even redacted specific figures from public records. However, even estimates commissioned by Microsoft itself paint a worrying picture.
Once fully operational, the three-building campus is expected to consume a staggering 56 million gallons of water per year. This is equivalent to what nearly 700 local families would use in the same timeframe.
This water consumption is particularly problematic in Arizona's
Sonoran Desert
. The region already faces a dire water crisis due to factors like the drying Colorado River and lenient property development regulations.
In 2019, Microsoft invested its first $1 billion in OpenAI and soon after the Goodyear facility was first announced by the company in the same year, the report notes.
In a statement, Arizona Attorney General
Kris Mayes
said: “We're going to have to make tough choices in the near future to make sure our state is protected for future generations. Allowing one more data centre to come to our state is an easy but stupid decision in a lot of cases.”
English (US) ·