Concern 312 · Working draft · editorial review in progress
Indirect water at power plants (Scope 2)
Indirect water use is water needed to produce the electricity that powers an AI service, even when the data centre itself uses little water.
Understanding the concern
Some power plants use water for cooling. A facility can therefore depend on water far from its own building. Reporting only the water entering the data centre leaves out this part of the footprint. The result changes with the electricity source, plant design and region.
Imagine buying bread from a bakery that uses little water on site. Growing the wheat still required water elsewhere. The same idea applies to electricity supply. Direct and indirect figures should be reported clearly so that they are not accidentally counted twice. A water-saving cooling choice may also change electricity demand, creating a trade-off.
An example
A facility switches cooling systems to reduce its local water use but needs more electricity from water-intensive generation.
Illustrative unless identified as a documented case.
Words in plain English
- AI
- Software that learns patterns from examples or uses rules to perform tasks such as recognizing images or generating text. It can make mistakes and does not understand every situation as a person would.
Evidence and its limits
The research examines water use across locations and electricity supply; effects must be calculated for the specific grid and cooling design.
Siddik, Shehabi and Marston; LBNL · Research paper
The environmental footprint of data centers in the United States ↗ (opens in a new tab)Spatial differences in direct and electricity-related water and carbon footprints.
Lei, Lu, Shehabi and Masanet; LBNL · Research paper
The water use of data center workloads: A review and outlook ↗ (opens in a new tab)Cooling, electricity supply, climate and workload determine water use.
Broader frameworks and background
These resources provide context. They do not establish every claim in this concern.
A question to discuss
Does the water report include electricity production, and where does that water come from?
Keep track of different views, what needs checking, and any next step in your own discussion notes.
Open discussion notes →Principles for the conversation
Before you finish · reflect together
Virtues and principles to consider
Virtues are qualities we practice in how we treat people and make choices. They are not scores for judging someone. Use these ideas to explore what a thoughtful response could look like.
Stewardship
Stewardship means caring for resources and systems that others depend on, including people who will use them later. It looks beyond the benefit of a quick launch.
Plan for maintenance, energy use, data protection, and eventual shutdown. Ask who will look after the tool when the original team moves on and how future users can avoid inheriting hidden costs.
Ask together: What are we responsible for caring for over time?
Justice
Justice means fair treatment, fair procedures, and attention to who receives benefits and burdens. It asks whether people with less power can be heard and seek repair.
Look at outcomes across different groups and individual cases. Provide a usable way to challenge decisions and correct harm. Equal wording in a policy does not guarantee equal treatment in practice.
Ask together: Who benefits, who bears the cost, and who can challenge the decision?
Reading reality
Reading reality means looking closely at the situation people actually face. A visible problem may be connected to habits, incentives, or rules beneath the surface.
If an AI tool gives a poor result, look at the task, data, workplace pressures, and available support. Do not assume that changing the software alone will solve the problem.
Ask together: What is happening here, and what conditions help explain it?
Editorial ratings
These are editorial judgments from the register, not measured probabilities or predictions about your situation.
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