The Big Story What kind of damage is artificial intelligence doing to the environment?
Aug 18, 2025
Dan Bressette, President at the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, and Miguel Yanez-Barnuevo, an EESI researcher and report author, dive into the environmental impacts of artificial intelligence. They highlight the staggering water consumption of data centers, revealing how these facilities strain local water resources. The discussion emphasizes the importance of informing lawmakers on climate issues related to tech. They stress that as AI grows, so does the need for sustainable practices to mitigate these environmental challenges.
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Data Centres Are Resource Hubs
- Data centres drive AI and everyday online services but require large resource inputs beyond electricity.
- EESI's report flags rising water and energy demand as core environmental concerns tied to AI growth.
EESI Advises Congress Directly
- Dan Bressette explains EESI's mission advising U.S. Congress with science-based, nonpartisan resources.
- He highlights briefings, fact sheets, and congressional use of EESI materials to inform policy.
Cooling Needs Scale With Computation
- Data centres are large server warehouses that produce substantial heat requiring cooling systems at scale.
- Those cooling systems commonly rely on water, scaling water demand with centre size and computational intensity.