Overview
- On Wednesday, Sept. 2, Howard Lutnick told CNBC that 'data centers don't use water,' and hours later a May 2025 Fox News clip circulated showing him saying the opposite — that AI centers 'suck water.'
- The Department of Energy says many data centers remove heat with water-based cooling and that facilities with cooling towers can lose large volumes of water to evaporation.
- The reversal drew sharp public criticism and ridicule from politicians and commentators who said Lutnick contradicted verified facts about cooling systems and water consumption.
- In his earlier remarks Lutnick pitched water needs as part of an economic argument, saying data centers create well-paid technical jobs tied to HVAC and maintenance work.
- A May Gallup poll found roughly seven in 10 Americans oppose data centers being built in their area, so the dispute could strengthen local resistance and complicate future siting and permitting decisions.