Google talks up new Texas data center that uses minimal water – except for 'critical campus operations' like kitchens

Google is building a data center where the only water used will be in the kitchens, the company claims.

The tech giant announced a new data center under construction in Wilbarger County, Texas will use air cooling instead of water, with "clean" power added to the grid even before the data center comes online.

Google’s announcement comes amid a wider pushback against the impact of data centers – in particular in Texas – which are being built in a rush to meet growing demand sparked by AI.

Common concerns include increasing energy prices through high consumption and the fact these sites use significant volumes of water.

President Trump this week told data center building companies they need to start sorting out their own power supplies to avoid energy prices continuing to increase for people.

Google said that, once complete, the new data center will use "advanced air-cooling technology, limiting water consumption to only critical campus operations like kitchens."

Indeed, Google said the aim is to replenish more local water than it consumes and is working with local water charities. Google's head of data center public affairs for Texas, Andrew Hart, said the company was "proud" of its close collaboration with local leaders on this front.

"Texas is at the center of the world’s AI leadership, and our expansion into Wilbarger County is a testament to the state's incredible talent and infrastructure," he said in a statement.

The industry doesn't need to use water for cooling, but often does in a bid to cut power use. Evaporative cooling, for example, consumes vast amounts of water.

Alternatives include air cooling, which uses liquid carbon dioxide, while other operators use liquid immersion and closed loop practices. In short, there are options.

Google’s new data center power plans

When it comes to power, Google is working with local energy generation companies Wilbarger County through power purchase agreements (PPAs) to boost clean energy on the Texas grid.

The tech giant claimed it will add more than 7,800 megawatts of net-new energy generation and capacity.

Indeed, the new site will be co-located next to "clean" power plants built and operated by AES, which will also run retail and other services at the campus. Google said the co-location is a "key strategy" for easing demands on the grid while speeding along buildout of data centers.

The aim is for the project to be "power first" with the plants coming online ahead of the data center. That, along with $30 million announced in November to help local residents hit by rising energy costs, should help keep power affordable, the company said.

"We are proud of our long-standing partnership with Google and thrilled to bring them this advanced stage ‘power first’ clean co-located project,” said Kleber Costa, Chief Commercial Officer, AES US Renewables.

"By capitalizing on AES’s extensive development expertise and years of hard work in collaboration with the exceptional local leaders and communities, we are bringing to Google a site that is fully ready for construction, with land and interconnection agreements, as well as co-located generation under 20-year PPAs."

Texas pushback

Google's efforts to ensure its data center won't use much water and will generate clean energy come amid pushback against these facilities, largely focused on those two issues.

That's particularly true in Texas. In central Texas, the city of San Marcos recently rejected a data center project in the area after resident complaints — and a local judge — raised concerns about water use. As one activist said: "We are out of water."

Two other similar infrastructure projects remain in the works in the nearby area, with one in nearby Round Rock approved despite "hours of public opposition" at a hearing on the issue.

It's not just about water and energy, though. In north Texas, a "city sized" data center project faces criticism for the risk it causes to local Dinosaur Valley State Park, home to well-preserved dinosaur tracks, though water and power use are concerns too.

In Hood County, residents are also concerned about construction-related noise. As one resident noted to local reporters: "I get to pay property taxes to be audibly assaulted."

City and state authorities are quick to note that these projects not only bring in jobs but also tax revenues, important for areas facing restricted and deficit budgets.

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