Data Centers and other large water users... looking at more effective groundwater governance

Carrie Jennings, Policy Director for the Freshwater Society, speaks in this webinar on effective groundwater governance. With support from the Joyce Foundation, Carrie and her associates have developed a series of recommendations for local governments when dealing with water-intensive industries like data centers and beverage companies. Large water users like data centers, industrial scale agriculture, and beverage companies are eyeing water-rich states in the Great Lakes region.  State and local governments need to provide guidance for responsible economic

development while maintaining a sustainable water supply, and specifically managing groundwater for the long term. Data centers are growing especially quickly - there are already 400 data centers in the five Upper Mississippi River Basin states, and many more are proposed throughout the region.

These data centers provide cloud storage, AI servers and cryptocurrency mining services.  Their energy use is intensive, and many propose to use water for cooling.   Data center builders look for areas with reasonable land costs, a stable power grid with good interconnections, water for cooling, and a favorable regulatory environment.  With them come concerns about water use, power demand and environmental factors such as noise and light pollution.  Carrie Jennings will address the question: How can we support economic development while ensuring water availability to support communities and the environment into the future?

Additional resources:

Water-guzzling data centers spark worries for Minnesota's groundwater, Minnesota Public Radio

​Data Centers and Groundwater Usage, Joyce Foundation

Water Planning is critical for data centers and other large development projects, Freshwater Society

The Digital Dilemma: The environmental cost of AI, cryptocurrency, and data centers, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy webinar

Speaker - Carrie Jennings, Research and Policy Director, Freshwater Society (she/her/hers)

Carrie joined Freshwater in 2016. She has been a field geologist for 24 years, 22 of those with the Minnesota Geological Survey and two with the DNR, Division of Lands and Minerals. Carrie is Adjunct Graduate Faculty at the U of M and was the science reports lead for the County Geologic Atlas program at the DNR. She applies her understanding of glacial geology and landscape evolution to shape policy and technical approaches for managing surface water and groundwater, avoiding hazards, and  using resources wisely.

Carrie and her husband live on a 120-acre farm which is primarily in a permanent conservation easement through the Dakota County Farmland and Natural Areas Program. Livestock is limited to a dozen chickens, a dog and a couple of cats. She has twice been elected town board supervisor and served on the planning commission for Eureka Township.

Farmington residents sue city over proposed data center campus, Minneapolis Star Tribune 

Data Centers are growing fast and reshaping local economies, US Census Bureau

Key trends and technologies impacting data centers in 2024 and beyond, Data Center Knowledge

Data Center Map (above), Data Center Map

Elko-New Market can pump more groundwater to supply bottled water plant, Minnesota Public Radio

Exporting water from the Mississippi River basin one  .5 liter bottle at a time, LWV UMRR blog


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