Environmental groups use AI while warning about data center power and water demand

what happened

Environmental organizations around the world are adopting artificial intelligence to analyze climate data, track wildfires and count endangered species, Reuters reports. At the same time, they warn that the data centers running AI are pushing up electricity demand, water use and greenhouse gas emissions. That tension forces them to justify why they use the technology.

Reuters interviewed 15 large environmental, conservation and development groups. All said they use AI in some form and are worried about the data centers behind it. The International Energy Agency projects that data centers will consume about 945 terawatt-hours of electricity a year by 2030, double current levels. It also expects their water consumption to rise from about 560 billion liters in 2023 to about 1.2 trillion liters a year by 2030.

The issue is likely to come up at the UN climate conference COP31 this month, where host Turkey plans to press governments and businesses to sign a pledge on sustainable AI development. Amazon told Reuters its AI products are among the most sustainable, citing its purchases of low-carbon energy. Microsoft and Google did not respond to requests for comment.

why it matters

For markets, the main point is how much energy AI infrastructure will need. Rising data center power demand matters for expectations around utilities and power producers, but this report offers no direct price signal.

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