The “Thirst” for Data
The Last thing California Needs is a New Unregulated Use for Water
This piece was first published in Maven’s Notebook on June 23, 2026
Part 1 of 2
As the tech sector, their billionaire investors and the Trump regime aggressively foist AI on every niche of society, commerce and government, people are pushing back against its destructive power. One of the central battlegrounds is the proliferation of data centers: sprawling complexes jammed with servers that run AI models and tools and require massive amounts of energy and water.
These centers are springing up all over the country, including, of course, California: the birthplace of modern digital technology. More than 300 data centers are planned for our state—and that may well be just the beginning.
Unsurprisingly, our elected officials—many of whom benefit from tech sector campaign contributions—are well behind the curve when it comes to regulation of the AI juggernaut. As a result, AI technology is already wreaking havoc, from aiding suicidal ideation to fomenting violence and sexual abuse. Further, a recent MIT Media Lab study found that “…excessive reliance on AI-driven solutions…” may cause “cognitive atrophy.”[1] That’s right: AI is making us stupider. We are literally outsourcing our brains to Large Language Models.
In California, the most immediate concern is water. We are a semi-arid state that is rapidly growing even drier through climate change. Water rights claims already exceed supplies by more than five times and critical groundwater basins are overdrafted, with 80% of our developed water going to industrial agriculture at subsidized rates.[2]
Now add data centers and their insatiable thirst. Large data centers require up to 5 million gallons of water daily—enough water to supply a town of 10,000 to 50,000 residents.[3] That’s an unconscionable additional burden to put on urban ratepayers, who already pay premium prices for their water and are subject to rationing during drought.
Meanwhile, our politicians remain unwilling to quantify AI’s resource impacts. Some water and energy analysts have even downplayed the threat, calling the concerns a “distraction.” But efforts to obtain basic information about data center water use have been shut down by tech-industry friendly politicians, including our current governor. Last year, a bill authored by Assemblymember Diane Papan to track data center water use was vetoed by Governor Newsom. Thus far, only Minnesota has passed legislation requiring data center water reporting.
Moreover, data center electricity demand is so high that it is driving additional fossil fuel investment[4], which will worsen climate change impacts like severe drought. And again, this consumption is not stationary; it’s growing in proportion to the expansion of data centers generally.
AI and data center regulation will thus be key issues for our next Governor and the California legislature. Both our climate goals and our democratic values are at stake. We can’t allow powerful corporations to commandeer our dwindling public trust resources to develop a technology that could harm as much as help us—or worse. Data centers present a clear and immediate danger to the conservation and equitable distribution of water in the West—particularly California. The time for meaningful and effective regulation is now.
Carolee Krieger C-WIN President and Executive Director
Carolee Krieger founded the California Water Impact Network in 2001 with Dorothy Green, Michael Jackson, and Yvon Chouinard. Though a longtime activist, the Monterey Amendments prompted Krieger to formalize her efforts by establishing C-WIN as a 501(c)-3, and broadening her network of public advocates focused on California water equity issues.
The California Water Impact Network is a state-wide organization that advocates for the equitable and sustainable use of California’s freshwater resources for all Californians.