Utilities
As artificial intelligence expands rapidly, the impact of hyperscale data centers on communities is raising growing concerns among mayors. Climate Mayors, in collaboration with Bloomberg Associates, has published "Data Centers and the Climate Landscape: A Resource for U.S. Mayors," proposing that cities can proactively shape data center development through four key levers—land use, energy, environment, and economy—to ensure alignment with climate goals and community interests.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on Monday nearly $12 million in grants to help 10 medium and large drinking water systems resist cyberattacks and extreme weather; simultaneously, the White House launched Project Watershed 250 in Texas, partnering with cybersecurity companies to offer free protective resources for water facilities.
Cities such as Hillsboro, Beaverton, and Tualatin in Oregon have installed in-pipe hydro turbine generators in water supply pipelines, using the pressure differential at pressure-reducing valves to generate electricity, with annual output ranging from over 200 megawatt-hours to 426 megawatt-hours, and they plan to enhance resilience by combining solar power, battery storage, and microgrids. This technology requires conditions such as appropriate pipe size, pressure differential, flow rate, and net metering, and relies on multi-layered funding support to achieve a payback period of approximately 10 years.
In response to recent cyberattacks on U.S. water systems, experts have proposed five key protective measures: strengthening account security, developing emergency response plans, isolating non-essential industrial control systems, joining threat intelligence sharing networks, and establishing government-enterprise contacts in advance. The article cites insights from multiple industry experts, emphasizing the importance of basic security configurations and proactive defense.
Municipal fleets are the backbone of daily urban services, yet their availability is often overlooked. This article analyzes the cascading impacts of fleet downtime, explains the strategic value of preventive maintenance, and proposes three major strategies: standardized maintenance, optimized inventory management, and enhanced preventive parts management. Additionally, the article introduces how WIX Filters, with 85 years of filtration technology experience, coverage of over 17,000 applications, and fleet survey programs, helps municipal agencies improve fleet reliability and operational resilience.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a notice on July 30 stating that malicious cyber actors have targeted programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in water and wastewater treatment systems across at least seven states, with some attacks degrading water treatment operations. Minnesota's IT services department confirmed on July 31 that over 30 community water systems in the state suffered malicious cyber activity; Michigan reported on August 1 that nine of its water systems were attacked, but all remained safely operational. The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recommend that water agencies disconnect PLCs from the internet, enable password protection, and restrict remote access.
Faced with persistent drought and water stress, direct potable reuse (DPR) is gradually gaining attention in the United States. Despite the technology's reliability, the label "toilet-to-tap" has hindered its adoption. Now, cities like El Paso are advancing DPR implementation, with public engagement and education becoming key.
The U.S. Department of Energy acknowledged in court filings on July 15 that the cancellation of 223 clean energy project grants (totaling $7.6 billion) in 2025 was based entirely on the political identity of the recipients' states, i.e., whether they were blue states supporting Harris. The document was first reported by The New York Times on July 24, sparking strong protests from Democratic lawmakers and environmental groups.
On July 17, the U.S. Senate introduced a bipartisan bill proposing to replace the fixed percentage allocation method of the EPA Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) with a needs-based formula. Based on 2022 data, the new formula would result in 31 states seeing funding remain flat or increase (up to 260%), while 19 states would see reductions (up to 53%). The bill is led by Senators Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) and Rick Scott (R-Florida) and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for consideration.
The Kansas Health Institute (KHI) has released a report revealing the rapid growth of U.S. data centers in energy and water consumption and its impacts on public health and the environment. The report shows that in 2024, U.S. data centers consumed 183 TWh of electricity, accounting for over 4% of total national electricity use, and this is expected to rise to 426 TWh by 2030. In terms of water, direct consumption was 17 billion gallons in 2023, potentially quadrupling by 2028. The report also notes that data center expansion is delaying the retirement of coal-fired power plants and exacerbating power generation capacity shortages.