Let's discuss the Milwaukee Region’s new AI Data Centers and their water 🚰 usage. Considerable erroneous information is being circulated.

Here are the facts:

Two extensive data center projects are underway in Wisconsin: the first by Microsoft in Racine County, and the second led by Vantage (end user to be announced soon) in Port Washington.

Both sites will utilize millions of gallons of water annually, but as in all matters, a single data point needs to be put into perspective.

All development requires water usage, and comparatively speaking, these developments will use less water than an equivalent-sized manufacturing, agricultural, or even housing development.

The original Foxconn project in Mt. Pleasant called for 10 million gallons a day; a chip fabricator would require 55 million gallons a day; Microsoft will use 8,000 gallons a day! Annually, that is equivalent to 4 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Port Washington will use the equivalent of just 65 homes 🏠 annually. A Wisconsin golf course ⛳ will utilize more water during the summer than one of these data centers.

Then why is proximity to Lake Michigan a factor? Not because of the access to water, but because of the cooling effect the lake provides. Water will likely not be utilized unless the temperature exceeds 85 degrees, which occurs on average just 10 days a year in Racine. This is possible because new technology, developed by local companies like Modine, have developed closed-loop cooling systems that reuse water instead of constantly discharging the water.

By the time you've completed reading this post, twice the water that will be utilized annually by both the Microsoft and the Port Washington project combined will have evaporated from Lake Michigan!

I know this leads to more questions. Tomorrow, I will address the misconceptions about energy usage. In short, you are not subsidizing data center energy usage. More to follow on that!