Sustainable Solutions for Data Centers with Ceres | REPLAY: Global | Sustainability & Transition Strategy

Research evidence excerpt

Sustainable Solutions for Data Centers with Ceres | REPLAY: Global | Sustainability & Transition Strategy

Global | Sustainability & Transition Strategy July 10, 2026

Sustainable Solutions for Data Centers with

Ceres | REPLAY

Continuing our work on data centers (here, here) we hosted Ceres, a

sustainability nonprofit, to discuss the data center buildout. KTs: 1) Rising

political & community opposition is a material project risk; 2) Direct & indirect

water use warrant greater scrutiny; 3) Data Center power demand expected to

more than double over the next decade; 4) No single energy solution exists;

5) Companies remain committed to climate goals despite speed-to-power

pressure.

.

1. Data center growth is reshaping the sustainability debate. Water availability, power

infrastructure, and community opposition have emerged as key constraints. Ceres noted that Aniket Shah, PhD * | Head of Sust. &

states have shifted from offering incentives to increasing scrutiny, with 11 states considering Transition Strategy

moratoriums and roughly $156bn of projects delayed or on hold due to local pushback. Projects +1 (212) 323-3976 | ashah14@jefferies.com

that proactively address sustainability concerns are increasingly more likely to gain community Yujin Kim * | Sust. & Transition Strategy

support and advance. Associate

+1 (212) 778-8314 | ykim4@jefferies.com

2. Direct and indirect water use are becoming a growing focus. Data centers are now among Charles Boakye, CFA * | Sust. & Transition

the ten largest water-consuming sectors in the U.S. Ceres highlighted Phoenix as an example Strategist

of how rising data center demand could reverse decades of water conservation progress. +1 (212) 336-6649 | cboakye@jefferies.com