As the U.S. races to stay competitive in the global AI boom, data centers are multiplying at a record pace.
VERNON, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 20: An aerial view of a 33 megawatt data center with closed-loop cooling system on October 20, 2025 in Vernon, California. A surge in demand for AI infrastructure is fueling a boom in data centers across the country and around the globe.
As the U.S. races to stay competitive in the global AI boom, data centers are multiplying at a record pace. But a new analysis from theshows that behind the innovation is a massive, and growing, strain on the country’s energy and water systems. And for everyday Americans, that could mean higher bills and new long-term environmental challenges.Pew’s review of federal and international data shows U.S. data centers used 183 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024, about 4% of all electricity used nationwide, according to theThe biggest driver? Hyperscale facilities built specifically for AI models. According to Pew and the IEA, a typical AI-optimized hyperscale center uses as much electricity as 100,000 homes a year. Newer mega-facilities could use 20 times more once they go online. In major hubs, especially Northern Virginia, clusters of these centers now consume more than a quarter of the state’s total electricity supply, theThe higher the power demand, the more utilities must upgrade the grid, and those costs don’t disappear. In the PJM electricity market , data center growth added $9.3 billion in capacity costs for 2025–26, per Pew’s analysis of PJM data. The result:estimates U.S. electricity bills could rise 8% by 2030 just from data centers and crypto mining alone, with even steeper hikes in the most data-center-dense regions.Electricity isn’t the only resource being pushed to the limit. Pew cites federal figures showing U.S. data centers used 17 billion gallons of water in 2023, mostly to cool energy-intensive AI chips at hyperscale sites. And by 2028, hyperscale centers alone could be consuming 16 to 33 billion gallons annually — roughly the yearly use of a mid-sized U.S. city. Cooling demands vary by season and by facility design, but researchers say the overall trend is clear: AI growth means water demand is climbing fast.Pew’s August 2024 survey suggests the public hasn’t formed a consensus:SAN ANTONIO — One person has died after a multi-vehicle collision in West Bexar County on Wednesday night.Bexar County deputies responded to the crash near StatSAN ANTONIO — Authorities responded to a major rollover crash on Thursday night along IH-35.Fire and EMS units responded around 8:26 p.m. to the 11600 block ofSAN ANTONIO - A motorcyclist has died after colliding with a vehicle that had just been involved in an accident.First responders were called to the scene aroundSCHERTZ, Texas — A Schertz police officer has been fired amid a sexual assault and official oppression investigation.According to the Schertz Police Department,SAN ANTONIO — Police have arrested a 19-year-old man, accused of being the driver that caused a deadly muti-vehicle crash along Interstate 35.
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