![\"water](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/shutterstock_pipes_dc.jpg\")
\nHow datacenters use water \u2013 and why kicking the habit is nearly impossible
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According to Politico<\/a>, a proposed voluntary pact between President Trump, the datacenter industry and megacorps like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta and OpenAI, would establish principles around energy, water use and local community relations.<\/p>\n The move aligns with recent developments: last month, Trump declared tech companies must fund datacenter power increases rather than passing costs to consumers, securing Microsoft’s compliance<\/a>. The US Energy Secretary also pressured grid operator PJM Interconnection to hold an emergency auction<\/a> addressing surging AI datacenter demand.<\/p>\n This appears aimed at containing growing public opposition<\/a> to server farms popping up all over the US. Research org Data Center Watch<\/a> found 20 projects were blocked or delayed by local opposition during Q2 2025 alone.<\/p>\n Other reports indicate hyperscalers may be spared from President Trump’s chip import tariffs<\/a> to avoid impeding their buildouts. In January, the White House said<\/a> it was imposing 25 percent tariffs on “certain advanced computing chips,” including Nvidia’s H200 and AMD’s MI325X.<\/p>\n According to the Financial Times<\/a>, these tariff carve-outs may be contingent on chip companies – especially TSMC – committing to relocating more production stateside.<\/p>\n This furthers Washington’s effort to relocate 40-50 percent of TSMC’s manufacturing to US soil, a “massive reshoring” that Taiwan’s vice-premier this week called “impossible<\/a>.”<\/p>\n TSMC has committed $165 billion to Arizona fabs that will produce some of its 2nm chips, though whether this satisfies Trump remains unclear.<\/p>\n If TSMC meets conditions for hyperscalers tariff exemptions, the US would exempt the largest buyers of products it just tariffed. Reg readers can no doubt spot the irony.<\/p>\n