AI Data Centers Run Into the Water Ledger — May 18, 2026

Water is becoming the next hard constraint for AI infrastructure: California lacks public usage disclosure, Pennsylvania is moving a campus through water-service hearings, and a Kansas county just paused data center permits. Capacity still expands abroad, but siting fights are getting more physical. In this episode: Top stories: 1. Data centers are guzzling California’s water. We have no idea how much. — CalMatters https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2026/05/california-data-centers-water-transparency/ 2. PA Environment Digest Blog: PUC Sets July 7 Hearings On Greater Hazleton CAN DO Request To Supply 30,000 Gallons Of Water/Day To A Proposed A.I. Data Center Campus In The Humboldt Industrial Park, Luzerne County — PA Environment Digest http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2026/04/puc-sets-july-7-hearings-on-greater.html 3. Commission declares moratorium on data centers, battery storage operations — Linn County Journal https://www.linncountyjournal.com/post/commission-declares-moratorium-on-data-centers-battery-storage-operations 4. Digital Realty Breaks Ground on 66MW Paris Data Center — B2Bdaily.com https://b2bdaily.com/it/digital-realty-breaks-ground-on-66mw-paris-data-center/ 5. Australia's NEXTDC launches $720M data center in Malaysia - TNGlobal — TechNode Global https://technode.global/2026/05/15/australias-nextdc-launches-720m-data-center-in-malaysia/ Follow and rate The Data Center Daily on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Feedback? Email [email protected]