Microsoft, OpenAI, and Oracle are abandoning evaporative cooling entirely to address water scarcity concerns. These companies, facing scrutiny over their environmental impact, are shifting to alternative cooling methods for new facilities like OpenAI and Oracle's Stargate expansion in Texas.

Google is taking a different tack, announcing water replenishment commitments that exceed its data center consumption. The company pledged to scale reclaimed water usage and implement annual disclosure of water consumption across facilities. Google's global head of infrastructure and sustainability, Ben Townsend, argues that water-stressed regions require different solutions than areas with abundant resources.

The search giant has conducted four years of hydrologic assessments to match cooling designs with local watershed conditions. Google previously defended evaporative cooling in EU filings, citing its necessity for sustainable operations where water is plentiful. Research from Ren's team supports this approach, finding evaporative cooling could free up 10 to 30 gigawatts of power during peak demand.

This divergence reflects a broader industry challenge: balancing energy efficiency with water conservation. Tech companies must navigate varying regional constraints while maintaining data center performance, making localized environmental strategies more practical than blanket policies.