Texas power plants use more water than data centers
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Gas and coal power plants consumed more water than data centers across Texas in 2024, per a new Sierra Club analysis of federal data.
Why it matters: Data center water use is in the spotlight in drought-stricken Texas. Environmental advocates say transitioning to renewable energy sources wouldn't just reduce carbon emissions, it would save the state billions of gallons of water.
What they did: The Sierra Club, an environmental advocacy organization, analyzed a decade's worth of data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) to compile its report, released last week.
By the numbers: It found that in 2024, gas plants consumed 56 billion gallons of water, coal plants consumed 34 billion gallons and nuclear plants consumed 26 billion gallons across Texas.
- Gas plants made up 48% of the state's total electricity-related water consumption while coal plants used 31%.
- The amount of water used by coal plants in Texas is enough for 1 million homes per year, the Sierra Club says.
- Comparatively, data centers used 8 billion gallons of water in 2024 in direct operations, the report found.
Reality check: Data center water use is rising, and the energy generation that powers data centers could indirectly consume a lot more water.
- A UT Austin report out last week found that Texas data centers used 25 billion gallons of water in 2025 in both direct operations and indirect energy generation.
- That's about 0.4% of the state's total water use, per the report. But the researchers estimated data centers could make up 3–9% of Texas' total water use by 2040.
Caveat: Renewable energy sources like wind and solar use a "negligible" amount of water, Noah Ver Beek, lead analyst for the project, told reporters. The EIA does not track it.
What they're saying: "Our dashboard shows the reality that so much water is being consumed by Texas coal, gas, and nuclear plants – roughly 100 billion gallons every year – despite the fact that affordable, clean, low-water options exist," Ver Beek said in a statement.
The other side: "Water use is an important issue for all industries in Texas, and discussions around it should include context and balanced comparisons," Krissy Lilljedahl, administrative director for the Texas Mining and Reclamation Association, tells Axios in a statement.
- "Coal plants provide reliable electricity that supports homes, hospitals, manufacturing, and Texas' growing economy while operating under extensive environmental and water management requirements."
Zoom in: CPS Energy's J.K. Spruce coal plant consumed 6.7 billion gallons of water in 2024 — more than any other coal plant in the state that year, per a Sierra Club dashboard. Its water use has steadily risen, and was at a decade-low of about 1.6 billion gallons in 2016.
- CPS is on track to shutter the Spruce 1 plant by the end of 2028 and convert the Spruce 2 coal plant to run on natural gas.
What's next: Texas' draft 2027 State Water Plan shows a need to spend $174 billion over the next 50 years to avoid a water crisis.
- The plan is open for public comment until 5pm May 29.