Texas state officials are seeking information on the water usage of data centers in the state, but their efforts are being hindered by a lack of response from the companies involved. A survey sent to data center companies by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) has yielded responses from only 28 companies, representing 92 facilities, according to Chris Brown, a program manager and economist at the PUC.

Background

The survey was developed in collaboration with the Texas Water Development Board and aims to inform future water planning and help policymakers better understand the relationship between water use and energy demand at large industrial facilities. It asked operators to provide information about water consumption, cooling systems, water sources, electricity demand, and whether facilities are connected to the state’s electric grid or have their own on-site power source.

The low response rate has raised concerns among lawmakers, with state Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, criticizing the participation level as ‘pretty pathetic’ and warning against making major policy decisions based on incomplete information. State Rep. Jeffrey Barry, R-Pearland, also emphasized the need for more consistent and reliable data to inform long-term policy decisions about increasingly scarce water resources.

Industry Response

Dan Diorio, vice president of state policy with the industry group Data Center Coalition, suggested that agencies could aggregate and anonymize information to alleviate any confidentiality concerns and encourage more data centers to respond to the surveys. The industry has been improving its cooling technology to require less water, with Google recently announcing its commitment to use 100% air-cooled, closed-loop cooling systems for new data centers.

Original reporting: Texas Tribune (HLL/CB) — read the source article.