How AI Data Centers Are Tapping into Wisconsin's Fresh Water

Frederica Freyberg:
In Ozaukee County, one of the largest data centers in the U.S. could soon be part of the landscape. Port Washington officials are advancing plans for a proposed 1900-acre data center campus. That data center under consideration is joining the list of such developments in Wisconsin because it turns out we have the perfect conditions. Here’s a story produced by “Here & Now” reporter intern Jane McCauley on how water and climate factor into data center siting decisions.

Wisconsin is rich in one of the most important natural resources: water.

Amy Barrilleaux:
We are projected to be relatively water rich in the coming decades.

Frederica Freyberg:
But a new technological frontier could test the waters.

Amy Barrilleaux:
Data centers, particularly AI data centers, need a lot of water.

Frederica Freyberg:
Data centers are popping up around the state. They run artificial intelligence data and store information. Amy Barrilleaux, communications director of Clean Wisconsin, cautions that the long-term environmental impacts remain uncharted territory.

Amy Barrilleaux:
We need to pay attention to how much withdrawals are happening. We have a lot of competing interests for that water: communities, farming, businesses, manufacturing, and now AI data centers coming in to access some of that water.

Frederica Freyberg:
Wisconsin has become a destination for new data centers because of the extreme heat they generate, requiring cooler climates and lots of water to regulate their temperatures. That’s why companies are eyeing Wisconsin for its climate and water.

Amy Barrilleaux:
A lot of people don’t really realize the impact that this kind of heavy computing is having on our environment and could potentially have on our really critical water systems.

Annette Zimmermann:
Water is one of our most valuable resources on this planet.

Frederica Freyberg:
Annette Zimmermann is a political philosophy professor who focuses on AI ethics and use.

Annette Zimmermann:
We’re dealing with a small number of people and companies who are able to decide, “Oh, we’re now going to operate in this environment, and nobody really can argue against us because we have very limited competition and almost no regulation.”

Frederica Freyberg:
For its part, Microsoft and Meta are already investing billions of dollars into AI infrastructure in Wisconsin. Microsoft says the Mount Pleasant Data Center will provide jobs and tax revenue, saying the project is expected to bring an influx of 2300 union construction jobs to the area by 2025, as well as providing long term employment opportunities over the next several years. Missy Hughes, secretary of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, discussed the initial construction in a 2023 “Here & Now” interview.

Missy Hughes:
Well, having a company like Microsoft, a blue chip, a true, blue chip American company decide to create such an opportunity in Wisconsin is incredibly important and really exciting. It brings in high tech, artificial intelligence, all of these things that we see in the economy of the future. And so Microsoft choosing Wisconsin is really a testament to what we’ve done to create the workforce that they need, to create the infrastructure that they need. And we’re so excited to have them here.

Frederica Freyberg:
More recently, construction in Mount Pleasant has been on and off, but is expected to finish by the end of 2026. When it comes to water usage, Microsoft says it has plans to replenish the water it has used by 2030 and be net positive. In 2022, their global usage was more than 1.5 billion gallons of water, a 34% jump from the year prior. Microsoft declined an interview but provided this statement about sustainability. “We made ambitious commitments in 2020. These commitments are rooted in science and take the necessary steps to protect our ecosystems and prevent the most severe impacts of climate change. Our data center facilities in Mount Pleasant will not require ongoing access to large quantities of water. This is because the facilities have been designed with a closed loop cooling system that employs a combination of cooling chemicals and recycled water.” Data centers expect to provide short term employment for Wisconsin. Longer term, WEDC expects spin-off development that generates increased property tax revenue. As for environmental impacts, Barrilleaux and Zimmermann argue they may not be seen for years to come.

Amy Barrilleaux:
People get uneasy when they start realizing that this resource that means so much could be harder and harder to get, and we don’t want to get in that situation.

Annette Zimmermann:
There’s just a lot that we don’t know. And that’s because we can’t fully predict what the next wave of innovating in the generative AI space will look like.