I agree that the situation is ripe for stranded assets in the form of generation that is underutilized if/when the data center technology becomes more efficient or perhaps isn't built as expected. However, the had turbine plants are easier to mothball and later relocate.
If you mean water for cooling I think that combined cycle generation would have a small effect. Most of the power is generated by gas turbines and the steam side uses cooling towers. It's possible to use dry cooling (essentially radiators) for even less water use.
I agree that the situation is ripe for stranded assets in the form of generation that is underutilized if/when the data center technology becomes more efficient or perhaps isn't built as expected. However, the had turbine plants are easier to mothball and later relocate.
That’s one shoe dropping. The other is water. Would love to see a similar analysis on the impact of this response to power demand on fresh water.
If you mean water for cooling I think that combined cycle generation would have a small effect. Most of the power is generated by gas turbines and the steam side uses cooling towers. It's possible to use dry cooling (essentially radiators) for even less water use.