Environmental advocates testified before the Texas Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs regarding water consumption tied to the state’s expanding data center infrastructure. The Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter called for mandatory water usage reporting by data centers to the Texas Public Utility Commission and requested improved tracking of water consumption by fossil fuel and nuclear power plants that supply electricity to these facilities.
Data centers consume approximately 95 gallons of water per megawatt hour of energy, but the power plants that supply them are significantly more water-intensive. Gas plants use 238 gallons per megawatt hour while coal plants require 409 gallons per megawatt hour. According to Sierra Club analysis of federal energy data, Texas power generation consumed roughly 100 billion gallons of water or more annually for nearly a decade. In 2024, gas plants used 56 billion gallons, coal plants consumed 34 billion gallons, and nuclear facilities used 26 billion gallons.
Data center growth in Texas has accelerated substantially, with existing hyperscale facilities representing 12 gigawatts of capacity and accounting for approximately 15 percent of electricity demand in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas grid. The interconnection queue contains requests for an additional 426 gigawatts of data center capacity. This expansion is intensifying demand on existing power generation infrastructure, amplifying water consumption impacts across the state.
Energy sourcing disparities highlight the water consumption challenge. Coal provided just 12 percent of Texas electricity needs at the end of 2024 yet accounted for 31 percent of electricity-related water use. Natural gas supplied 51 percent of electricity and consumed 48 percent of electricity-related water. Renewable energy sources including wind and solar provided 30 percent of the state’s electricity needs with minimal water requirements due to their operational characteristics. The Senate Committee indicated plans to issue recommendations in December regarding improved tracking and limitation of water use by large industrial consumers.
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