FORT WORTH, Texas — Debates around data centers are playing out across the nation. Supporters cite advantages including jobs, national security and advancing U.S. superiority in the race for artificial intelligence (AI) technology and capacity. Opponents say large data centers consume excess electricity and water, threaten land use, drive up utility bills and endanger the environment.

Among the opponents is Andrew Coppin, a water resource expert and founder of Texas-based RanchBot, who works with cattle ranchers and farmers in the major livestock producing states to monitor and manage their water usage. 

“We look after thousands of ranchers and the water on thousands of ranches, so we understand intimately the sensitivity of water availability. A cow drinks about 35 or 40 gallons of water a day, and water was already a challenge before data centers came along. If a small data center is using 50,000 gallons of water a day and a big one is using 5 million gallons of water a day, we’re talking about the equivalent of (daily) water for 150,000 cows,” Coppin told Farm World. 

In addition, “We are losing 5,000 acres of farm land per week to urban sprawl and data centers. The pressure is going to be on for ranchers to again be competing for land and water in an already-challenging environment.”

There are 517 data centers either currently operating or under construction in Texas, Coppin said. Even if all of the data centers were considered “small,” at a water consumption rate of 50,000 gallons daily at least 25 million gallons of water per day will be used by data centers in Texas. Data centers consume massive amounts of water in order to maintain operational temperatures, evaporating large amounts in the process.

“It’s going to put a strain on aquifers, a lot of strain on existing water sources,” Coppin said. “I think the work that’s been done with recycling water and having closed loops for water, possibly using water that is coming out of the oil and gas industry that isn’t great for agriculture, is (promising). What concerns me is who is the overarching body that is really going to regulate water use for data centers and in its entirety for communities?”

Moratoriums placed on further data center development in some areas of the U.S, should serve to slow the rapid spread of the industry while laws overseeing the development and operation of data centers are established, Coppin noted.

“We probably need to slow down in order to speed up. In not too many years’ time we’re going to have 400 million people living in the U.S. If you look at what’s happening in Corpus Christi they’ve been told to cut their water consumption by 25 percent, and 60 percent of our country is still in drought,” he said.  

Coppin said that in order for community and elected local leaders to gather intelligent input regarding water usage on farms and ranches when considering data center applications, it is important for producers to be able to accurately document their operation’s water consumption data. “Data centers are now coming in on the fringes of a lot of agricultural land, threatening available water and available power,” he said. “Inevitably, you would think, that is going to come into conflict with water demands for agriculture and ranching. We need to make sure we are setting up for a sustainable future.”

Coppin strongly advocates for accurate water monitoring and control by farmers and ranchers, along with gathering data around their water usage. This way if and when the time comes for a discussion with regulators, producers are well-informed and can document their water usage. 

“You’ve got to be able to prove that you’re a good custodian of water,” he said. “Ranchers and farmers need to be able to (show) exactly how much water you use every year and how you manage it, and that you are a good custodian of water. We also need to as a community realize that water is a finite resource. If we’re all paying $4.50 a gallon for (water) we’d be thinking drastically differently about who’s got it and how they’re using it.”

Illinois a hotbed for data center activity

The debate over data centers is intensifying in some Illinois communities, where many communities and counties are placing moratoriums on future development. In January 2026, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul sided with concerned residents in questioning whether a major utility provider will be able to keep up with increased demand on the electrical grid caused by power-thirsty data centers. 

Chronicle Media Illinois reported that Raoul argued in filings to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that transmission service agreements (TSAs) between utility provider Commonwealth Edison — who, along with Ameren, provide one of two primary energy markets in the state — and data center developers failed to adequately protect existing utility ratepayers. According to Raoul, Com Ed cannot guarantee their revenue commitment will cover the cost incurred to provide the required transmission facilities to support the proposed data centers.

The protests by the Illinois attorney general’s office reflect overall U.S. consumer concerns about how the spread of data centers may drive up electric rates for utility customers. It’s a concern shared by many across the nation, including President Donald Trump, who said on social media in January that data center companies must pay their own way.

“I never want Americans to pay higher electricity bills because of Data Centers,” Trump tweeted on Jan. 12, while announcing the administration is working with data center companies to ensure they pay for their own power needs. 

Illinois is currently home to 228 data centers in nine markets, according to datacentermap.com, where known data centers in all states are listed. The Chicago metropolitan area serves as the primary hub for the state’s facilities.