AXIOS (Amy Harder) - Google pushes water standards amid data center backlash
Facing mounting scrutiny over data center water consumption, Google on Wednesday released a set of guidelines it says should become the industry standard. Why it matters: Communities across the U.S. are increasingly pushing back against new data centers, often citing concerns about water use alongside rising power prices, local air pollution and noise. - Google argues that better practices — and more transparency — can help ease those fears. Driving the news: Google's framework calls for: - Returning more water to local watersheds than its data centers consume by 2030. - Avoiding water-intensive cooling in more water-stressed regions. - Helping fund local water infrastructure upgrades. - Pursuing alternatives such as reclaimed…