The Growing Infrastructure Behind Advanced Cooling Technologies
As artificial intelligence reshapes industries and daily life, it is placing new demands on energy and water systems worldwide, leading organizations to explore data center power solutions and advanced cooling technologies. A new report from Lehigh University’s Center for Advancing Community Electrification Solutions (ACES) draws on insights from Powering What’s Ahead: Energy and Water Challenges of AI Data Centers, a symposium held last October that convened leaders from academia, industry and government to explore how rapid AI expansion is transforming energy demand, water consumption and regional infrastructure planning.
AI data centers, facilities that provide the computing power behind artificial intelligence applications, require large amounts of electricity and water to operate efficiently. Symposium participants discussed how utilities, policymakers and communities can meet rising demand while maintaining reliability, affordability and environmental stewardship.
Collaborative Solutions for a Sustainable Future
To address these challenges, the report highlights coordinated solutions across sectors, including grid adaptation, improved energy efficiency, advanced cooling technologies and policy frameworks that align economic development with community resource capacity.
For the first time in decades, electricity demand on Pennsylvania's power grid is rising and experts expect continued growth for years. Energy providers will need to update and modify electrical grids to manage changing demand. The symposium aimed to balance the potential of innovation with the need for dependable and value-driven energy solutions. ACES plans to build a consortium focusing on the emerging grid that ensures research center initiatives prioritize equitable access and sustainability.
ACES, one of Lehigh’s three University Research Centers (URCs), reflects the university’s role as a Carnegie R1 research institution committed to interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world problem solving. By bringing together researchers, industry partners and public agencies, the symposium demonstrates how collaborative research can support responsible AI infrastructure development while strengthening regional resilience and durability.
