[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":359},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fun-says-ai-data-centers-gulp-1-2t-gallons-turlock-growers-eye-the-ripple":235},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":10,"extension":13,"links":14,"meta":20,"navigation":21,"path":22,"seo":23,"stem":24,"__hash__":25},"header\u002Fheader.md","Central Valley AI",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":9},"minimark",[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":12},"",2,[],"md",[15],{"label":16,"to":17,"icon":19},"News",{"path":18},"\u002Fnews\u002F","mdi-newspaper-variant-outline",{},true,"\u002Fheader",{"title":5,"description":10},"header","ceT4J-WxxOBdbhRC-UD3fo0Npu7vWt2o2B9b_LURPmE",{"id":27,"title":28,"body":29,"copyright":33,"description":10,"developedBy":34,"extension":13,"links":41,"meta":49,"navigation":21,"path":50,"seo":51,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},"footer\u002Ffooter.md","Footer",{"type":7,"value":30,"toc":31},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":32},[],"© {year} All rights reserved.",{"label":35,"link":36},"Developed by",{"label":37,"to":38,"target":39,"logo":40},"Kaweah Tech","https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech","_blank","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.kaweah.tech\u002Flogo-black-on-transparent-tight.svg",[42,43,46],{"label":16,"to":18},{"label":44,"to":45},"About","\u002Fabout\u002F",{"label":47,"to":48},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy-policy\u002F",{},"\u002Ffooter",{"description":10},"footer","Ras2AGS8Wuda4aBPrbAbOivaxIsAoDbo9SNCA0w554g",[55,85,123,154,181,208],{"id":56,"title":57,"body":58,"county":77,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":78,"meta":79,"navigation":21,"path":80,"seo":81,"stem":82,"tag":83,"__hash__":84},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield.md","Bakersfield",{"type":7,"value":59,"toc":74},[60,65],[61,62,64],"h2",{"id":63},"ai-in-bakersfield","AI in Bakersfield",[66,67,68,69,73],"p",{},"Bakersfield's AI conversation sits at the intersection of municipal government, the ",[70,71,72],"strong",{},"California State University Bakersfield"," community, and the energy and ag operators that drive Kern County's economy. The city was an early mover on AI-assisted permitting and has been a recurring backdrop for parent- and teacher-led debates about classroom AI use. Articles below follow specific Bakersfield initiatives, public-meeting decisions, and Kern County workforce stories — and how they reflect national AI trends from a regional vantage point.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":75},[76],{"id":63,"depth":11,"text":64},"Kern County","Bakersfield and the surrounding Kern County are home to some of the most concrete AI-in-government experiments in the Central Valley, from instant municipal permitting to school-district debates about classroom AI. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is reshaping public services, education, and the energy and agriculture economies that dominate the region.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield",{"title":57,"description":10},"cities\u002Fbakersfield","bakersfield","ozFL4HvDA_g7UrRE1mHbKqcS-vDLwbiH9JWVh3rB2Ac",{"id":86,"title":87,"body":88,"county":115,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":116,"meta":117,"navigation":21,"path":118,"seo":119,"stem":120,"tag":121,"__hash__":122},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno.md","Fresno",{"type":7,"value":89,"toc":112},[90,94,109],[61,91,93],{"id":92},"ai-in-fresno","AI in Fresno",[66,95,96,97,100,101,104,105,108],{},"Fresno's AI story spans several distinct ecosystems. ",[70,98,99],{},"Fresno State"," and the ",[70,102,103],{},"California State University"," system anchor a workforce-readiness push, while local ",[70,106,107],{},"Fresno Unified School District"," debates around responsible use have made the city a recurring reference point in California's K-12 AI conversation. The city's economic base in agriculture, healthcare, and public services means most AI adoption stories here are about applied uses rather than model development — a different posture than coastal tech hubs but arguably more consequential for the people living here.",[66,110,111],{},"Use the articles below to follow how AI is showing up in Fresno-area institutions and businesses.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":113},[114],{"id":92,"depth":11,"text":93},"Fresno County","Fresno is the largest city in California's Central Valley and the regional center for AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, higher education, and small business. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being applied — and contested — in and around the city of Fresno and Fresno County.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno",{"title":87,"description":10},"cities\u002Ffresno","fresno","gOL2xk8y9t9OV6PPxP02OjYhZFHC_Cg-VGijh_V93dI",{"id":124,"title":125,"body":126,"county":146,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":147,"meta":148,"navigation":21,"path":149,"seo":150,"stem":151,"tag":152,"__hash__":153},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced.md","Merced",{"type":7,"value":127,"toc":143},[128,132],[61,129,131],{"id":130},"ai-in-merced","AI in Merced",[66,133,134,135,138,139,142],{},"Merced is a research-heavy node in the Central Valley AI ecosystem. ",[70,136,137],{},"UC Merced"," faculty appear in national conversations about AI safety, autonomous vehicles, climate modeling, and pediatric health applications, while the ",[70,140,141],{},"Merced Unified School District"," and surrounding county institutions navigate the same K-12 and workforce questions the rest of the Valley faces. The articles below cover both the campus research story and the broader applied uses around the city and county.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":144},[145],{"id":130,"depth":11,"text":131},"Merced County","Merced punches above its weight in AI research, anchored by UC Merced — a leading West Coast hub for AI in agriculture, climate, autonomous systems, and health. Coverage on this page tracks both academic research coming out of the campus and how AI is showing up across Merced's schools, businesses, and county institutions.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced",{"title":125,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmerced","merced","pSWWlEzMdcv2_RZrUKdkEHU3bixNboePGdHbSdd1m34",{"id":155,"title":156,"body":157,"county":173,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":174,"meta":175,"navigation":21,"path":176,"seo":177,"stem":178,"tag":179,"__hash__":180},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto.md","Modesto",{"type":7,"value":158,"toc":170},[159,163],[61,160,162],{"id":161},"ai-in-modesto","AI in Modesto",[66,164,165,166,169],{},"Modesto's AI conversation tends to combine ag-tech adoption stories with workforce-readiness questions for the city's small and mid-sized employers. ",[70,167,168],{},"CSU Stanislaus"," and the regional community college network shape the higher-ed angle. Coverage below follows Modesto-area AI announcements and the wider Stanislaus County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":171},[172],{"id":161,"depth":11,"text":162},"Stanislaus County","Modesto and Stanislaus County sit between the Bay Area and the southern Valley, and their AI story reflects that bridging role — from agriculture and food processing to the **California State University Stanislaus** community to small businesses adapting to AI-driven changes in marketing, hiring, and operations.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto",{"title":156,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmodesto","modesto","l75Dc40MX8wTb4lD088Yx9we4ypuDwmcvE-uEdqqREc",{"id":182,"title":183,"body":184,"county":200,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":201,"meta":202,"navigation":21,"path":203,"seo":204,"stem":205,"tag":206,"__hash__":207},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton.md","Stockton",{"type":7,"value":185,"toc":197},[186,190],[61,187,189],{"id":188},"ai-in-stockton","AI in Stockton",[66,191,192,193,196],{},"Stockton's economic base in logistics, healthcare, and higher education gives the city a different AI profile than the southern Valley. ",[70,194,195],{},"University of the Pacific"," anchors the academic conversation, while San Joaquin County government, hospitals, and warehouse operators are navigating practical adoption questions: cost, training, security, workforce impact. The articles below track Stockton-area AI announcements and the broader San Joaquin County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":198},[199],{"id":188,"depth":11,"text":189},"San Joaquin County","Stockton and San Joaquin County sit at the northern edge of the Central Valley, where logistics, healthcare, and the University of the Pacific shape the local AI adoption story. Coverage on this page follows how AI is being put to work — and questioned — across San Joaquin County's institutions, employers, and public services.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton",{"title":183,"description":10},"cities\u002Fstockton","stockton","TYEBK9akp2HbpAFmYY67FeKt7Rs7L8tvtYeQBtgJAHw",{"id":209,"title":210,"body":211,"county":227,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":228,"meta":229,"navigation":21,"path":230,"seo":231,"stem":232,"tag":233,"__hash__":234},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia.md","Visalia",{"type":7,"value":212,"toc":224},[213,217],[61,214,216],{"id":215},"ai-in-visalia","AI in Visalia",[66,218,219,220,223],{},"Visalia's AI footprint is grounded in the practical adoption stories that come with a Tulare County economy built around agriculture, food processing, and rural healthcare. ",[70,221,222],{},"College of the Sequoias"," and the surrounding K-12 districts anchor the education conversation. The articles below cover Visalia-area AI developments and the Tulare County context, with a focus on applied uses rather than research or model development.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":225},[226],{"id":215,"depth":11,"text":216},"Tulare County","Visalia is the largest city in Tulare County and a center for agriculture, healthcare, and county-government services in the southern Central Valley. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being adopted across Tulare County's schools, hospitals, ag operations, and small business community.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia",{"title":210,"description":10},"cities\u002Fvisalia","visalia","gN4g7aAl-cqD4FfSTgtTAarltUoKLh8NFlPzCbZngqU",{"id":236,"title":237,"archived":238,"author":239,"body":240,"date":346,"dateModified":346,"description":347,"extension":13,"meta":348,"navigation":21,"path":349,"rawbody":350,"seo":351,"sitemap":352,"stem":353,"tags":354,"__hash__":358},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fun-says-ai-data-centers-gulp-1-2t-gallons-turlock-growers-eye-the-ripple.md","UN says AI data centers gulp 1.2T gallons; Turlock, growers eye the ripple",false,"Marta Reyes",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":338},[242,246,250,266,270,273,276,280,283,286,290,293,296,300,303,306,309,325,328,332],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"un-says-ai-data-centers-gulp-12t-gallons-turlock-growers-eye-the-ripple",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"A UN report estimates data centers used 448 TWh and 1.2 trillion gallons in 2025.",[254,258,259],{},"By 2030, data centers could draw nearly 3% of global electricity.",[254,261,262],{},"Turlock Irrigation District finished canal-top solar pilots with UC Merced in 2025.",[254,264,265],{},"Tracy officials say no data center application is on file as of April 20, 2026.",[61,267,269],{"id":268},"what-the-un-counted","What the UN counted",[66,271,272],{},"448 terawatt-hours. That’s the electricity data centers used last year, according to a United Nations University report that also puts their water use at 1.2 trillion gallons and their emissions near Argentina’s yearly output. The report says AI buildout will double those impacts within four years if current trends hold. By 2030, data centers could account for nearly 3% of global power demand.",[66,274,275],{},"Why it matters here lands close to the pump, because power and water that feed servers have to come from somewhere, and the bill shows up in rates and allocations the Valley watches every summer.",[61,277,279],{"id":278},"where-the-valley-fits","Where the Valley fits",[66,281,282],{},"There’s interest in siting compute away from the coasts, where land is cheaper and substations sit close to open ground. In Turlock, one small facility is already listed at under 10 megawatts. City of Tracy officials, meanwhile, put out a statement in April saying they’ve received no application for a data center on the much-discussed West Tracy site. So the local buildout is early, and still fuzzy.",[66,284,285],{},"For growers in Stanislaus and Merced counties, the near-term question is simpler: if large new loads land on the same wires that run your pumps and hullers, do your bills jump again in August. And do districts have to reshuffle plans to cover summer peaks.",[61,287,289],{"id":288},"water-and-cooling","Water and cooling",[66,291,292],{},"Most data centers cool with air for most of the year, then switch to water on very hot days, though designs vary by operator and site. Microsoft says it’s rolling out a closed-loop approach with zero water evaporation at future sites and expanding recycled-water setups elsewhere, a change that shifts some burden from water to electricity. That helps in desert markets, but it still means megawatts on the grid.",[66,294,295],{},"The UN report is blunt about volume. Even a small share of global water mapped to AI is big in drought years, and those years still come here. The air by the Turlock Main Canal smelled like algae and hot metal at noon.",[61,297,299],{"id":298},"what-local-districts-are-doing","What local districts are doing",[66,301,302],{},"Turlock Irrigation District finished a canal-top solar pilot in 2025, with UC Merced researchers tracking the data. Solar over water reduces evaporation and adds daytime power near pumps, which takes a little pressure off peak hours. It’s not a data center policy. It’s one tool districts already have in the ground.",[66,304,305],{},"TID also has the Walnut Energy Center, a gas plant that helps cover summer spikes when irrigation and air conditioning run together. If AI infrastructure grows in the Valley, expect districts like TID and MID to run that peaker mix more often unless new supply shows up in time.",[66,307,308],{},"\"We need clear, accurate load forecasts before we change anything,\" one Turlock engineer told me last fall. A white TID pickup rolled past the turnout on Canal Drive.",[66,310,311],{},[312,313,314,315,318,319,324],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,316,317],{},"CVAI Newsdesk"," team and developed by ",[320,321,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":322},[323],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[326,327],"hr",{},[61,329,331],{"id":330},"source","Source",[66,333,334],{},[320,335,336],{"href":336,"rel":337},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.yourcentralvalley.com\u002Fnews\u002Ftech-news\u002Fap-un-calculates-nation-sized-environmental-footprints-for-ai-and-data-centers\u002F",[323],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":339},[340,341,342,343,344,345],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":268,"depth":11,"text":269},{"id":278,"depth":11,"text":279},{"id":288,"depth":11,"text":289},{"id":298,"depth":11,"text":299},{"id":330,"depth":11,"text":331},"2026-06-04","A new UN report tallies nation-sized power and water use for AI data centers. Here’s what that could mean for Turlock-area pumps and rates this summer.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fun-says-ai-data-centers-gulp-1-2t-gallons-turlock-growers-eye-the-ripple","---\nauthor: Marta Reyes\ndate: 2026-06-04\ndateModified: '2026-06-04'\ndescription: A new UN report tallies nation-sized power and water use for AI data\n  centers. Here’s what that could mean for Turlock-area pumps and rates this summer.\ntags:\n- agriculture\n- turlock\n- water\ntitle: UN says AI data centers gulp 1.2T gallons; Turlock, growers eye the ripple\n---\n\n# UN says AI data centers gulp 1.2T gallons; Turlock, growers eye the ripple\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. A UN report estimates data centers used 448 TWh and 1.2 trillion gallons in 2025.\n2. By 2030, data centers could draw nearly 3% of global electricity.\n3. Turlock Irrigation District finished canal-top solar pilots with UC Merced in 2025.\n4. Tracy officials say no data center application is on file as of April 20, 2026.\n\n## What the UN counted\n\n448 terawatt-hours. That’s the electricity data centers used last year, according to a United Nations University report that also puts their water use at 1.2 trillion gallons and their emissions near Argentina’s yearly output. The report says AI buildout will double those impacts within four years if current trends hold. By 2030, data centers could account for nearly 3% of global power demand.\n\nWhy it matters here lands close to the pump, because power and water that feed servers have to come from somewhere, and the bill shows up in rates and allocations the Valley watches every summer.\n\n## Where the Valley fits\n\nThere’s interest in siting compute away from the coasts, where land is cheaper and substations sit close to open ground. In Turlock, one small facility is already listed at under 10 megawatts. City of Tracy officials, meanwhile, put out a statement in April saying they’ve received no application for a data center on the much-discussed West Tracy site. So the local buildout is early, and still fuzzy.\n\nFor growers in Stanislaus and Merced counties, the near-term question is simpler: if large new loads land on the same wires that run your pumps and hullers, do your bills jump again in August. And do districts have to reshuffle plans to cover summer peaks.\n\n## Water and cooling\n\nMost data centers cool with air for most of the year, then switch to water on very hot days, though designs vary by operator and site. Microsoft says it’s rolling out a closed-loop approach with zero water evaporation at future sites and expanding recycled-water setups elsewhere, a change that shifts some burden from water to electricity. That helps in desert markets, but it still means megawatts on the grid.\n\nThe UN report is blunt about volume. Even a small share of global water mapped to AI is big in drought years, and those years still come here. The air by the Turlock Main Canal smelled like algae and hot metal at noon.\n\n## What local districts are doing\n\nTurlock Irrigation District finished a canal-top solar pilot in 2025, with UC Merced researchers tracking the data. Solar over water reduces evaporation and adds daytime power near pumps, which takes a little pressure off peak hours. It’s not a data center policy. It’s one tool districts already have in the ground.\n\nTID also has the Walnut Energy Center, a gas plant that helps cover summer spikes when irrigation and air conditioning run together. If AI infrastructure grows in the Valley, expect districts like TID and MID to run that peaker mix more often unless new supply shows up in time.\n\n\"We need clear, accurate load forecasts before we change anything,\" one Turlock engineer told me last fall. A white TID pickup rolled past the turnout on Canal Drive.\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Newsdesk** team and developed by [Kaweah Tech](https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech), a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.*\n\n---\n\n## Source\n\nhttps:\u002F\u002Fwww.yourcentralvalley.com\u002Fnews\u002Ftech-news\u002Fap-un-calculates-nation-sized-environmental-footprints-for-ai-and-data-centers\u002F\n",{"title":237,"description":347},{"loc":349},"news\u002Fun-says-ai-data-centers-gulp-1-2t-gallons-turlock-growers-eye-the-ripple",[355,356,357],"agriculture","turlock","water","qILPubuuswtw5VEOi-dFfDrg-pqltOsiWKVUc_XSDq4",1782158321780]