Artificial Intelligence
Sprouting Gear Inc. Founder Paul Pluss Announces Report On:"The Unintended Consequences Of Theai Race On The Livestock Industry"
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RAMONA, Calif., June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Data centers will soon use more water than the entire cattle industry and the quantity of cattle are already in decline due to water shortages.
The US cattle inventory has declined from 132 million 50 years ago to 86.7 million today and now faces a fast-approaching and under-recognized new threat: the massive expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure—especially data centers—and its impact on the water supply, says Paul Pluss, founder/CEO of Sprouting Gear Inc., a veteran livestock rancher and researcher focused on the intersection of agriculture, water supply, and AI infrastructure demands.
“The massive amount of water usage by data centers to cool their servers operated by Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon remains largely unrecognized by agricultural. Prime location for data centers is the same hot dry inland location preferred for cattle feedlots and they are often sharing the same aquifers and rivers for water,” said Pluss.
The number of U.S. data centers is expected to grow from 5,426 today to more than 8,378 within five years. Many existing facilities are also expanding. These data centers—powering AI models and cloud computing—require enormous amounts of power and water.
Key figures:
- Each data center can consume up to 5 million gallons of water per day for cooling.
- Average water usage per megawatt of electricity is estimated at 6 to 7 million gallons.
- U.S. data center power demand is currently 35 gigawatts and rising.
- Annual electricity usage by data centers is expected to nearly triple, from 224 terawatt-hours today to 606 terawatt-hours within five years.
- Based on current and projected growth, total water use by U.S. data centers could exceed 15 trillion gallons annually—equivalent to more than 46 million acre-feet of water per year (calculated on the well-documented 5M gallons/day per center, prior to new expansions).
This level of water consumption rivals agricultural water uses in major farming states and could soon surpass the entire livestock industry’s combined water footprint, including feed crop irrigation, drinking water, and processing needs.
View the report here, for the problem and a possible solution of a hydroponic livestock feeding program and the economics behind it:https://sproutinggear.com/resources/
- “Can We REALLY Slash Livestock Environmental Damage by 90 Percent?”
- Why depleted Aquifers Are a Bigger Problem Than the Colorado River
Paul Pluss
CEO & Founder
paul@sproutinggear.com
https://sproutinggear.com
Frequently Asked Questions
How much water do data centers use?
Each data center can consume up to 5 million gallons of water per day for cooling.
Why is data center water usage a problem for agriculture?
Data centers often share the same water sources as agriculture, especially livestock farming, leading to competition for resources.
What is a potential solution to this problem?
A hydroponic livestock feeding program could potentially reduce water usage and environmental impact.
First published on Mon, Jun 9, 2025
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