Utah Lawmakers Consider New Regulations for Data Centers Amid Water Conservation Concerns
Utah state lawmakers are examining potential changes to laws governing data centers, driven by increasing concerns over their water consumption, especially during a prolonged drought. Jake Garfield, deputy director for the Utah Office of Energy Development, highlighted the Novva data center in West Jordan as a pioneer in using a closed-loop cooling system, a technology new to the U.S. when it opened in September 2021. This system significantly reduces water usage by recirculating water in a sealed loop, preventing evaporation and waste. Garfield noted that if Novva had used traditional evaporative cooling, it would have consumed up to 300 million gallons of water annually. Despite the existence of such water-saving technologies, there are currently no state policies mandating their use for data centers. Utah currently has 48 operational data centers, with more planned, and these facilities can consume thousands to millions of gallons of water daily. The lack of mandatory regulations means that new faciliti... 
