Water use: what candidates said
We sent every candidate on your ballot the same questions, whatever office they are running for. We wrote the options, so each one appears below once, with everyone who chose it. Candidates who wrote their own answer instead are shown in their own words, exactly as submitted.
Water use
Large data centers can use millions of gallons of water a year for cooling. What should the state require of new facilities?
- New facilities should be required to use closed-loop or air cooling, with no net draw on municipal drinking water. Operators should publish a projected water budget before a permit is issued, and verified figures for actual use before it is renewed.
- New facilities should disclose projected water use during permitting and pay the full cost of any infrastructure their demand requires. The cooling technology should remain the operator's choice, since the right approach depends on climate, site and power mix.
- Water use should be handled through existing utility agreements and state environmental review, which already assess supply and discharge for every large industrial customer. Data-center-specific rules would duplicate what is in place and slow projects the region depends on.