Ceres report examines hidden water risks powering data centers

Ceres has announced a new report, Water Behind the Watts: The Hidden Risk of Powering Data Centers, examining the hidden water use tied to electricity generation for data centers in seven U.S. states.

• The report says data centers in Virginia, Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia, Ohio, and Arizona depend on about 3.4 trillion gallons of freshwater annually for electricity, and that 78% of electricity in the analyzed states came from power plants that use water to operate.
• It also notes that 66% of electricity generated using water came from areas facing medium-high to extremely high water stress; the article cites $130 billion in data center projects disrupted in Q1 2026 and says Ceres will host a Sept. 23 Climate Week NYC event, Powering the Digital Economy: Sustainable Data Centers.