A Casper resident is calling for transparency on AI data center resource use, citing concerns over water and energy consumption. In a letter to the editor, Janel Moore expressed her concerns about the lack of information available on the impact of data centers on local resources.
Water and Energy Consumption
Moore noted that one developer had filed a lawsuit against an irrigation district to access 260 million gallons of water annually from the drought-stricken Colorado River, despite initially promising that the closed-loop system would not require additional fresh water. She also found that every single data center has a lawsuit filed against it or on its behalf, mostly related to the use of more resources than initially agreed upon.
Moore argued that the use of less water often requires the use of more energy, and that communities are often unable to find out how much electricity and water is being taken due to non-disclosure agreements. She emphasized the importance of having a representative who will listen to facts and search for information, rather than treating the community as uneducated or manipulating voters.
Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.
