Data centers for AI use huge amounts of electricity, water, driving up costs and climate concerns
The short version: CBS Chicago's report on AI data centers' massive power and water use is a local wake-up call — but the real story is who's paying and who approved it.
Our Take
Credit to CBS Chicago for putting a local news lens on what's become a national pattern: AI data centers quietly reshaping utility bills, water tables, and land use long before most residents get a say. The story here isn't new to us, but it matters every time a mainstream outlet says it out loud — because the companies building these facilities would rather you not think too hard about the megawatts and gallons behind your chatbot.
What often gets lost in coverage like this is the paper trail. Every substation upgrade, every water permit, every tax abatement was signed off by somebody — a utility commission, a county board, a state legislature — usually with far less public scrutiny than the deal deserves. That's the gap we try to fill: not just "data centers use a lot of power," but which data center, whose water, whose rate hike.
If you want to see how this plays out in your own backyard, check our facility map for buildouts near you, and if you're ready to push back on a project or demand transparency from local officials, our take-action page has concrete next steps.
This is GridWatch the USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of CBS Chicago, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.