Water conservationWater use has been one of the most prominent concerns surrounding data center development in Wyoming, a state where water resources are closely tied to agriculture and often run low. Mickey said Meta publishes its water usage for each operating data center annually as part of its sustainability reporting. Rachel Sisneros, general manager of Wyoming operations for Black Hills Energy, said large data center customers are required to pay for investments needed to serve their new loads. Sisneros said residential and traditional commercial customers are not expected to shoulder the costs associated with infrastructure built specifically to serve large data center operations. Environmental concernsPanelists also reassured attendees that data center development can occur while still protecting Wyoming’s landscape.