A data center’s electricity use and water use are connected, but they are not the same measure. Electricity runs servers and supporting equipment; cooling choices affect both the power required at the facility and the water consumed on site. Electricity generation can also consume water elsewhere. To estimate a local footprint, keep those water categories separate, use facility-specific annual data where possible, and state what the figures include.
How much electricity and water do data centers use?
For the United States, the latest reviewed historical estimate is 192 terawatt-hours (TWh) of data-center electricity in 2024, or 4.7% of total U.S. electricity consumption. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) figure is modeled and excludes cryptocurrency mining. The updated estimate revises the older 2023 figure of 176 TWh, or 4.4%, published by LBNL in 2024. LBNL’s 2024 report and the 2025 update have different estimate vintages; use the updated figure for the latest historical estimate.
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The 2025 update’s U.S. reference case projects 649 TWh in 2030, with a compounded uncertainty range of 521–843 TWh. These are scenario-based projections shaped by assumptions about equipment, power, utilization and cooling—not a guaranteed outcome. For context, the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects global data-center electricity use of around 945 TWh in 2030 in its base case, just under 3% of global electricity consumption. That is a global forecast, not a U.S. observation, and it should not be directly compared as though the geography and model were the same. IEA’s global outlook.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteFor water, LBNL estimated approximately 66 billion liters of direct site water consumption by U.S. data centers in 2023. It separately estimated nearly 800 billion liters consumed indirectly to generate the electricity used by U.S. data centers that year. The latter is water associated with electricity supply, not water delivered to data-center sites. The difference illustrates why a single “water use” figure can obscure important boundaries. LBNL’s 2024 report.
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Which water figure describes the local impact?
Direct site water
This is water consumed at the facility, often for cooling. Consumption generally means water not returned to the immediate water cycle, for example because it evaporates. Do not assume that all water entering a site is consumed: withdrawals and consumption are different measures. A facility’s annual water bill or meter data may report withdrawals, consumption, or both, so check the definition before using the number.
Indirect electricity-source water
Power plants can consume water to generate the electricity a data center uses. This happens away from the data center and varies with the local electricity supply. It is not included in a site’s cooling-water meter. LBNL’s national analysis applies location-specific grid factors, but its facility-level calculation does not incorporate individual power-purchase agreements or behind-the-meter generation. LBNL’s methodology and estimates.
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Why cooling changes both numbers
Cooling removes heat generated by computing equipment. Evaporative and water-cooled systems can use more water on site while reducing electricity needed for cooling; air-cooled systems can use little or no cooling water but require more energy. The balance depends on system design, climate and operating practice. “Closed loop” does not automatically mean zero water use, nor does one cooling label establish a facility’s total footprint. Compare site water and electricity-source water alongside electricity use rather than declaring a design better from one metric alone. LBNL’s discussion of cooling and resource use.
How to estimate a facility’s electricity use
Start with actual annual facility electricity consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh) or megawatt-hours (MWh), if available. Confirm the reporting period and whether the number covers the whole facility or only information-technology (IT) equipment. Total facility electricity includes servers and supporting infrastructure, such as cooling and power systems.
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- If you have total facility electricity: use it as reported. Do not multiply it by PUE again.
- If you have only IT electricity: estimate total facility electricity as IT electricity × PUE.
Power usage effectiveness (PUE) is total facility energy divided by IT equipment energy. It measures infrastructure overhead relative to IT energy; it is not a water or carbon metric. LBNL’s modeled U.S. average PUE fell from 1.6 in 2014 to 1.4 in 2023, but facilities vary. Those modeled values assume systems operate as designed, so a national average is not a substitute for a site’s measured PUE. LBNL’s 2024 report.
How to estimate direct site water
Use metered annual site-water consumption when available, and check whether the record reports consumption or withdrawals. If the facility’s site water usage effectiveness (WUE) is known, an approximate calculation is:
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Site water (liters) = facility electricity (kWh) × site WUE (liters/kWh)
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How to estimate indirect water from electricity generation
Choose an annual-average grid water-consumption factor for the facility’s location and the same year as the electricity figure, then calculate:
Indirect source water (liters) = electricity (kWh) × local grid water-consumption intensity (liters/kWh)
The electricity value should have a clear boundary: use total facility electricity if estimating the supply associated with the whole facility. LBNL’s U.S. analysis links counties to balancing authorities and derives annual-average grid factors from power-plant generation and water data. A location-based factor estimates source water for the regional grid mix; it does not necessarily represent a facility’s actual supply if it has a power-purchase agreement or on-site generation. LBNL’s facility-level estimate does not account for those arrangements. LBNL’s analysis.
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A useful comparison puts the same reporting year and boundaries side by side. Ask for measured annual facility electricity and direct site-water consumption where possible; when those are unavailable, clearly mark modeled or estimated values.
- Annual total facility electricity, with the period and kWh or MWh units.
- IT electricity and PUE, if reported, so infrastructure overhead is visible.
- Annual direct site-water consumption and site WUE, including WUE’s denominator and metric boundary.
- The local grid water-consumption factor used for indirect water, including its year and geography.
- Cooling configuration and operating climate.
- Whether electricity supply includes power-purchase agreements or behind-the-meter generation.
- Whether each figure is measured, modeled or estimated, and whether water means consumption or withdrawal.
A low site-water number can coexist with higher electricity use, while a favorable grid water factor says nothing by itself about direct cooling water. Report direct site water and indirect source water separately; add them only when presenting a clearly defined combined footprint. If site data or a local factor is missing, show a range and name the missing input rather than implying precision from a national average. LBNL’s estimates and boundaries.
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