Drought and Extreme Heat Impacts to Data Centers in Northern California

Summary

This report assesses the risks posed by extreme heat and drought to data centers in Northern California, which are often designed based on outdated climate assumptions. The region, home to over 160 data centers and consuming about 2% of US electricity (40% for cooling), faces significantly increased climate risks. Historically, the Earth has warmed 1.9°F since 1880, leading to projected challenges like an 83% decline in Sierra Nevada snowpack by 2075-2100 under the RCP 8.5 scenario and a 10% reduction in California's water supplies by 2040. Data centers, which can use 1-5 million gallons of water daily (Google used 3.3 billion gallons in 2021 in the US), will experience a projected average of 3 days per year above 100°F in San Jose (2025-2055) compared to 0 historically, and maximum wet-bulb temperatures exceeding 78°F in Livermore. The assessment emphasizes integrating future climate projections into design to mitigate these growing vulnerabilities and prevent outages like those seen in the UK.

Key Facts

Source Document

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