Local city councils in the Midwest are passing emergency moratoriums on new data facility permits due to water stress.

Data centers across the industry swallow 449 million gallons (1.7 billion liters) of water daily.

AI data centers use water primarily for cooling computer chips, which get hot and perform less efficiently when overheated.

Florida regulators stepped in with strict new rules to stop residents' utility bills from spiking due to data center energy and water demands.

The approved Illinois data center will consume more than half the amount of electricity as the entire city of Chicago.