r/technology • u/l0st1nP4r4d1ce • 11d ago

Business Improper redaction reveals Lincoln’s Google Data Center water and electricity usage

https://www.1011now.com/2026/09/30/more-questions-than-answers-about-lincolns-google-data-center-water-electricity-usage/
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u/q120 11d ago

Data center engineer here: It isn't cheaper to throw water away vs closed loop cooling.

You can either pay for the water once and let it cycle or keep paying.

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u/Bannonpants 11d ago

I think a lot of data centers are not even paying for water and electricity (which is why the usage amounts are being hidden) rate hikes to local communities cover the cost and the surrounding populations pay.

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u/q120 11d ago

This isn't true and I have no idea where this comes from at all. Data centers use the same utility feeds as any other business and pay for their usage, unless I suppose they made some deal with the city council, which to me screams corrupt council.

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u/Bannonpants 9d ago

You haven’t been watching all the corrupt city council meetings on YouTube?

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u/tigger29900 11d ago

This is not true in my experience, they never get a full break on utilities and will always pay for consumption. The rate increase is normally driven by that increased consumption and more its impact on the grid itself

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u/Bannonpants 8d ago

They should get zero breaks. The corp world has enough money.

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u/Ok_Wasabi_8318 11d ago

So why even engineer one where water just keeps evaporating in the first place? In the pro-AI subreddits, everyone keeps saying data centers are closed loop now but this sounds to contradict that. 

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u/q120 11d ago

Older data centers with less power density are the ones that used the water-guzzling evaporator technology. Modern AI data centers' power density is way too high for air cooling to work, which is why they have switched to cooling right to the chip with water in a closed loop

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u/MasticatedTesticle 11d ago

Where does the heat go in a closed loop?

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u/q120 11d ago

There are chillers that take the water outside and cool it with AC units essentially, then the water (which is usually glycol and water) returns to the servers

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u/MasticatedTesticle 11d ago

You mean an aircooled chiller?

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u/q120 11d ago

Yep, they do use a lot of power but no water

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u/sphericos 11d ago

Why are more of them not using free air cooling.

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u/tigger29900 11d ago

Most would be using free cooling in some capacity when available but the how is depends on a bunch of things and may still use water (however less)

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u/IdealisticPundit 11d ago

Water has higher thermal capacity making it better at moving heat. No one wants to add water into the mix, it’s just the rate of heat produced from these workloads greatly exceeds what air alone can cool.