
Arizona's Water Is Vanishing Before AI Gets a Crack at It
While we worry about the growing threat of robots guzzling up America's groundwater, we can't ignore the risk that cows will consume it all first.
A new study this week by researchers at Arizona State University put the depth of our water problem in perspective. It found that groundwater in the lower Colorado River basin — a region filling up with both data centers for artificial intelligence and alfalfa farms to feed cows — is being depleted far more quickly than surface water from reservoirs such as Lake Mead and Lake Powell, which are also vanishing rapidly.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has worked to rebut Musk, at one point Tuesday suggesting the Tesla CEO was miffed about the legislation scrapping Biden-era rules meant to promote the use of electric vehicles. 'It's part of the Green New Deal. And I know that has an effect on his businesses, and I'll admit that,' Johnson said. 'But for him to come out and pan the whole bill is, to me, just very disappointing.' On Wednesday, Johnson would not address Musk's potential motives. 'Everybody can draw their own conclusions about that,' the speaker said. 'Look, I don't subscribe [motivation] to anybody.' Musk's public displeasure with the megabill started showing last week as he was preparing to leave his position as a special federal worker tasked with cutting spending. Musk amplified a post from Tesla Energy, a part of his business empire focused on solar and batteries, against the House-passed bill's rollback of renewable energy credits from the Democrats' 2022 climate law. 'Abruptly ending the energy tax credits would threaten America's energy independence and the reliability of our grid,' the company wrote. Murk also amplified a post saying 'slashing solar energy credits is unjust.' 'There is no change to tax incentives for oil & gas, just EV/solar,' Musk wrote. And even though Musk had said he didn't want federal incentives for his EV business, POLITICO and other outlets — citing anonymous sources — have said the billionaire was lobbying to protect those very credits. 'Tesla certainly stands to lose a perverse incentive to manufacture cars people aren't willing to pay for,' said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). 'Or we'll find out who's actually willing to pay for them if they are not subsidized. But frankly, I've never been lobbied by Tesla or Elon personally.' 'He just wants to be treated fairly' Fiscal hawks in Congress are either trumpeting Musk's attacks against the bill or suggesting changes are needed. 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Reporter Timothy Cama contributed. This story also appears in Energywire.