Microsoft projects its data center water use will more than double by 2030 compared to 2020 levels. The increase is driven by the artificial intelligence boom. According to The New York Times, internal forecasts show the company now expects to use about 18 billion liters of water in 2030. That represents a 150 percent increase from the 7.9 billion liters used in 2020.
Revised Projections Show Major Increases
Microsoft originally projected annual water needs would more than triple to 28 billion liters by 2030. The company later updated its forecast after The Times contacted it. The new estimate reflects water-saving techniques and better data from leased facilities. The projection does not include more than $50 billion in data center deals signed last year.
In 2020, Microsoft president Brad Smith pledged to conserve water at the company’s data centers. He promised to cut use and deploy new water-saving technologies. The AI construction spree has changed those plans. Microsoft now operates roughly 100 data center complexes worldwide. Water use reached 10.4 billion liters in 2024.
Drought Regions Face Larger Increases
Phoenix and Jakarta See Major Jumps
Some areas with water crises face particularly large increases. Near Phoenix, which has faced two decades of drought, Microsoft predicted water withdrawals would reach 3.3 billion liters by 2030. The company later reduced that estimate to 2 billion liters. It plans to run facilities at higher temperatures, so it needs less water for cooling.
Near Jakarta, Indonesia, Microsoft estimated water use would more than quadruple to 1.9 billion liters in 2030. The metropolis is sinking into the Java Sea partly because of drained aquifers. Microsoft has since revised that figure to 664 million liters in 2030. The company said it no longer has 2026 estimates for any location. The original forecast showed 380 million liters this year.
