Amazon's Water Positive Promise Under Fire as Data Centers Drain Local Water Supplies
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Recently, Amazon snagged approval for setting up two new data centers in Santiago, Chile — a whopping $400 million venture. Crazy thing is, this is their first foray into Latin America — and in one of the driest countries worldwide, amid protests against the expansion of the industry.
But wait, there's more: This week, Amazon announced it's investing in water conservation alongside the Maipo River, the primary water source for the Santiago region. They're joining hands with a startup to install drip irrigation systems on 165 acres of farmland, potentially saving enough water for around 300 homes annually! This move is part of Amazon's plan to make its cloud computing operations "water positive" by 2030, trying to save more water than they consume.
Other tech giants like Microsoft and Meta are also making similar pledges as they invest in data centers to support the artificial intelligence boom, facing criticism for their thirst for water and energy.
Amazon banks on these data centers being among the most water-efficient in the industry, and they aim to spend a jaw-dropping $100 billion to build more of them over the next decade, boosting their Amazon Web Services cloud-computing platform. One challenge is that the servers in large data centers run hot as they process massive amounts of information, and they need both water and electricity to stay cool.
Amazon claims they use water in their data centers to save on energy-intensive air conditioning units, ultimately reducing their reliance on fossil fuels. However, corporate pledges to be "net-zero" emissions are a bit more complex than they seem, and water pledges aren't much different. While the company has lowered water usage at its facilities, the calculations don't account for the colossal water requirements of the power plants that keep these data centers running. Without a bigger commitment to mitigating Amazon's impact on the electricity grid, conservation efforts will only scratch the surface of the problem, according to experts.
In Virginia, where numerous Amazon data centers are located, there are already worries about water availability, despite cheap power and financial incentives for tech firms. To address this, Amazon funds dozens of conservation and recharge projects, such as those in Chile, where they donate recycled water and help restore rivers in water-stressed cities.
However, Amazon's "water positive" goal does not include the water consumed by the power plants that power those data centers. This consumption can be up to 10 times greater than the on-site water consumption at a data center, raising concerns about the overall water footprint. The company is aiming for 100% renewable energy, but solving this complex issue is still a work in progress.
- Amazon's investment in water conservation near the Maipo River is an effort to make its cloud computing operations "water positive" by 2030, a goal that also involves saving more water than they consume.
- In the future, Amazon aims to spend a staggering $100 billion to build more data centers, boosting their Amazon Web Services cloud-computing platform, with a focus on creating water-efficient facilities.
- Despite concerns about water availability in Virginia, home to numerous Amazon data centers, the company funds conservation and recharge projects, such as the ones in Chile, where they donate recycled water and help restore rivers in water-stressed cities.
- Amazon's "water positive" goal does not account for the water consumption of the power plants that power their data centers, which can be up to 10 times greater than the on-site water consumption at a data center, raising concerns about the overall water footprint of their operations.
