Trillion-Dollar Megaproject Cancelled, Bringing Major Catastrophe for Humanity
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Projects worth billions of dollars owned by Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have reportedly been cancelled after facing rejection from local communities. Now, it is the turn of investors who are starting to raise their voices because the impact of water and electricity usage is considered a significant risk.
This pressure has emerged ahead of the annual general meeting of shareholders of these global technology companies. Investors are demanding more detailed transparency regarding water consumption, electricity needs, and conservation strategies to support the surge in computing requirements, particularly due to the development of artificial intelligence (AI).
Investors’ concerns are not without reason. Data centres are known as facilities that are highly energy- and water-intensive. Data from Mordor Intelligence shows that data centres in North America will consume nearly 1 trillion litres of water throughout 2025. This figure is equivalent to the annual needs of New York City.
The surge in energy needs is also a concern. Trillium Asset Management has submitted a resolution to Alphabet to explain how the company can still achieve its climate targets amid the continuously increasing electricity needs of data centres.
Alphabet previously promised to cut emissions by 50% and switch to carbon-free energy by 2030.
However, investors note that the company’s emissions have instead increased by 51%. This situation has led shareholders to question the readiness of technology giants in maintaining their environmental commitments amid AI expansion.
Similar pressure is also being directed at other companies in the AI ecosystem. Green Century Capital Management is even considering a resolution to Nvidia to ensure that short-term gains from AI do not create long-term climate and financial risks.
In addition to electricity, water consumption is also a key issue. Environmental reports show that water usage by these technology giants has risen sharply in recent years.
In fact, one company’s water usage has increased by more than 50% over the last four years, enough to supply tens of thousands of households for a year.
Although technology companies are starting to use more water-efficient closed cooling systems, investors consider the data provided still not transparent enough.
Some only report total usage, others only per unit of power, while location-specific data that directly impacts communities has not been disclosed in detail.
Investors consider location transparency important because data centre projects can strain water and electricity supplies in certain areas. Such risks could also affect operational costs and lead to conflicts with local communities.
Technology analyst from Calvert Research and Management, Jason Qi, said that technology companies have not been open enough about the impact of water consumption on surrounding communities. Yet, large-scale data centre expansion has the potential to burden local resources.
“We have not seen sufficient disclosure about water consumption and its impact on local communities,” said Qi, quoted from Reuters, Tuesday (7/4/2026).
On the other hand, data centre industry players acknowledge that community involvement is now a priority.
“Transparency regarding energy and water usage is important so that residents understand that this project will not burden their resources and protect them as electricity customers,” said Vice President of the Data Center Coalition, Dan Diorio.