Data Centers — Jesse Stahl, 2026 intern
For his Internship Project during spring semester 2026, Jesse Stahl (a master’s student at the University of Colorado-Boulder) conducted a comprehensive analysis of federal, state and local regulations affecting data center development, highlighting how the generative AI boom is straining regional water supplies and energy grids.
Jesse’s recommendation for ICWP is to help our members support the development of state and regional water policies that transition to more proactive and transparent resource tracking to protect water resources while accommodating technological growth.
Considerations include:
- Prohibiting non-disclosure agreements (NDAs),
- Mandated pre-negotiation infrastructure disclosures,
- Real-Time automated consumption reporting,
- Removing loopholes using mandatory state audits,
- Protecting municipalities from exclusionary zoning lawsuits,
- Requiring independent aquifer stress testing, and
- Shifting the entire financial burden of infrastructure expansion directly onto developers (i.e.- requiring payment for upfront maintenance costs, conditioning state tax exemptions, wastewater treatment surcharges, off-grid battery integration).