Peter Yolles & Clara Drysdale: Data Center Innovation & Cooling the Future | Make Water Work 024

AI runs on water. But how much? And what does that mean for the future?

In this episode of the Make Water Work Podcast, Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover sit down with Peter Yolles (Echo River Capital) and Clara Drysdale (Stanford University) to break down the findings from the new Data Center Innovation Report.

As artificial intelligence and cloud computing explode, data centers are becoming one of the fastest-growing drivers of water and energy demand in the world. Cooling the chips that power AI requires enormous amounts of water — and the industry is racing to find more sustainable solutions.

This conversation explores:

• Why AI and data centers are creating a massive new demand for water

• The technologies being developed to cool data centers more efficiently

• The surprising connection between energy, water, and AI infrastructure

• Innovations like atmospheric water capture, advanced membranes, and closed-loop cooling

• Why communities are raising concerns about data center water use

• How better measurement, transparency, and policy could shape the future

Peter and Clara also share insights into where the next generation of water technology startups will emerge as AI infrastructure continues to scale globally.