University of Texas researchers model oilfield wastewater as a cooling source for AI data centers
Photo: Crypto Briefing
A UT Austin study suggests desalinated brackish and produced water could keep data centers cool without straining freshwater supplies AI data centers are thirsty, and Texas is starting to notice. A new study from the University of Texas at Austin suggests a possible fix: cool the servers with water nobody else wants. The researchers modeled how desalinated brackish groundwater and oil and gas wastewater could supply data center cooling. Their conclusion is that it may be workable, at a modest cost to the facilities’ energy budgets. The paper appeared online in the journal Water Research in September 2026.
Source: Crypto Briefing
