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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsCompare candidate data center sites using the same project assumptions, then judge each one on documented power service, water demand and availability, community effects, land-use constraints, and schedule risk. National energy and water statistics show why these issues matter, but they cannot tell you whether a particular parcel has adequate utility capacity or a sustainable water supply.
Start with one project scenario for every site
A fair comparison depends on holding the proposed project constant. If one site is evaluated for a smaller, slower-growing facility or a different cooling design, its apparent advantages may not be meaningful.
Write down a shared scenario before requesting local information:
- Requested IT capacity and the date and pace at which it will come online.
- Expected annual and peak electricity load, plus the operating profile.
- Cooling design and the weather assumptions used to estimate its performance.
- Annual and peak-day water withdrawal and consumption.
- Proposed onsite generation, energy storage, or flexible-load operation.
- Expected construction footprint, operating footprint, and schedule.
For every claim, label the evidence as confirmed, modeled, proposed, or unknown. Keep the author, date, geography, assumptions, and any conditions attached to the claim. A utility service commitment is not the same as a preliminary estimate, and a proposed community benefit is not the same as an enforceable commitment.
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Assess whether the grid can serve the project on its required timeline—not just whether a region has a favorable generation mix or a nearby substation. EPRI identifies electricity price and availability as siting factors and describes local mismatches between requested power and available service as demand grows and grid development takes time. DOE also describes data-center loads as large, regionally variable, and often dependent on firm, continuous power.
Request site-specific utility and grid evidence
- Available capacity today and the date at which the requested service could become firm.
- Interconnection study status, remaining milestones, and known schedule uncertainty.
- Transmission and distribution upgrades required, their expected timing, and who pays for dedicated infrastructure.
- Applicable tariff and rate structure, along with any reliability or resource-adequacy constraints identified by the utility or grid operator.
- Whether the plan depends on grid service, onsite generation, storage, flexible load, or a combination—and how each option affects emissions and neighboring communities.
Record dates and conditions, not just a headline capacity figure. Ask which milestones could delay service and whether the proposed schedule depends on upgrades that are not yet approved, funded, or built.
Separate possible grid responses from firm capacity
DOE identifies generation and storage, grid expansion and upgrades, energy efficiency, demand flexibility, proactive planning, and tariff design as possible responses to rising demand. They are options for project- and region-specific analysis, not proof that power will be available at a particular site. EPRI’s siting factors also include proximity to customers and fiber, climate, resilience, land cost, water availability, incentives, and electricity prices; these should be considered alongside, not instead of, a dated service assessment.
Use national electricity figures only as context
In a December 2024 announcement reporting a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study, the U.S. Department of Energy said data centers used 4.4% of U.S. electricity in 2023 and estimated a 6.7%–12% share in 2028. The announcement reported U.S. data-center electricity use of 58 TWh in 2014 and 176 TWh in 2023, with 325–580 TWh estimated for 2028. The 2028 figures are estimates, not observed results, and none of these national numbers establishes the demand or available service for a specific project.
How should you compare water demand and risk?
Ask for absolute water demand and its source, timing, and local context. A facility efficiency ratio alone cannot show whether a municipal system or watershed can sustain the project, particularly during hot weather or drought.
Request a comparable water budget for each site
- Annual and peak-day water demand, distinguishing withdrawal from consumptive use.
- Water source: potable, reclaimed, surface water, groundwater, or another source.
- Cooling technology, seasonal demand, and the assumptions behind the estimate.
- Drought restrictions, competing demand, and the capacity of the relevant utility or watershed.
- Wastewater and cooling blowdown handling, including any applicable discharge constraints.
- Any water-efficiency metric, with its unit, system boundary, and operating assumptions.
Compare sites under the same load, cooling design, and weather assumptions. Pair any efficiency metric with total demand and a locally meaningful measure of water scarcity; do not treat use of reclaimed or non-potable water as proof that supply or environmental effects are immaterial.
Keep national water statistics in perspective
EPRI’s 2026 analysis reports that U.S. data centers consumed 17.4 billion gallons of water in 2023. That is a national total, not a forecast or estimate for an individual facility. EPRI also reports that data centers accounted for 1.5% of global electricity consumption in 2024; this global electricity figure does not describe any one U.S. site’s water burden.
How do you assess community impact and land use?
Map both the burdens and potential benefits, and identify who experiences or pays for each. EPRI’s community-centered analysis treats acceptance as a siting consideration alongside power, water, and permitting. It notes that opposition can contribute to delays or cancellation risk, and that trust depends in part on early engagement, transparent information, tailored benefits, and commitments that can be checked over time.
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Document effects, benefits, and accountability
- Local effects: construction traffic and disruption, noise, visual change, land conversion, water-system impacts, and changes to electric infrastructure or rates.
- Economic benefits: projected permanent jobs by occupation and wage where available, temporary construction work, and tax revenue—including how revenue is distributed.
- Public costs and support: infrastructure costs and who bears them, public incentives, and any other public contribution to the project.
- Commitments: promised benefits or mitigations, who monitors them, what information will be published, when reporting will occur, and whether an agreement or advisory mechanism makes them accountable.
Engage affected communities early enough for their input to inform decisions. A benefit statement without a responsible party, reporting schedule, or way to verify delivery should remain labeled proposed rather than treated as a secured outcome.
Screen the parcel and its surrounding infrastructure
Consider whether previously developed land or a location already served by infrastructure could reduce the need for new streets and utility lines. Screen flood exposure, stormwater, water quality, and relevant social context as well. EPA’s general location guidance offers a screening lens; it is not data-center-specific evidence that a particular parcel is preferable.
Put candidate sites side by side
Use one comparison table for all candidates and enter evidence rather than impressions. Include the evidence status and the document date in each site’s entry; if information has not been established, write “unknown” and identify what would resolve it.
| Comparison axis | Evidence to enter for each site |
|---|---|
| Firm power and schedule | Capacity and service date; interconnection status and milestones; required upgrades; schedule dependencies; dedicated-infrastructure cost allocation. |
| Reliability and flexibility | Utility or grid-operator reliability constraints; proposed storage, onsite supply, or flexible load; operating conditions attached to those options. |
| Power impacts | Supply emissions and relevant local air impacts, with the assumptions and boundaries used. |
| Water supply and scarcity | Source; annual and peak withdrawal and consumption; utility or watershed capacity; drought exposure and competing demand. |
| Cooling and wastewater | Cooling design and seasonal behavior; efficiency metric and boundary; blowdown and wastewater handling. |
| Community costs and benefits | Construction and operating effects; jobs and tax contribution; infrastructure costs and their allocation; incentives; verifiable commitments and monitoring. |
| Land and environmental context | Existing infrastructure; land-use change; flood, stormwater, water-quality, and other relevant constraints. |
| Permitting and schedule risk | Required approvals, current status, dependencies, and unresolved issues affecting the proposed schedule. |
A single composite score can conceal trade-offs. If you use one, disclose the weights and show how changing them affects the ranking. A site that scores well on one dimension should not silently offset a serious constraint on another.
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What local documents should you request before deciding?
For a real parcel comparison, request the same project-specific documentation for every candidate. National estimates and general siting guidance cannot substitute for local studies or commitments.
- Power: utility or grid-operator correspondence and studies covering capacity, interconnection, upgrades, milestones, rates, and cost allocation.
- Water: a project water budget and supporting utility or watershed information covering source, seasonal demand, scarcity, drought conditions, and wastewater handling.
- Environmental and land use: relevant permitting records and assessments of flood exposure, stormwater, water quality, and other parcel-specific constraints.
- Community and infrastructure: project information on traffic, noise, land-use change, jobs, taxes, incentives, infrastructure costs, and proposed community agreements or other commitments.
- Evidence record: for each document or promise, record its author, date, geographic scope, assumptions, status, and whether it is enforceable or independently verifiable.
If a local fact is not public or has not been verified, mark it unknown rather than inferring it from a national average. The comparison is only as reliable as the site-specific evidence behind it.
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