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ClimateQuiet 11d · day 13

Federal Colorado River cuts squeeze Arizona's chip-manufacturing water supply

A new federal decision slashes Arizona's Colorado River allocation just as TSMC and Intel expand water-intensive chip fabs in the state.

newest coverage 10d agosummary written 11d ago42 pieces740 likes & upvotes33 comments MastodonNewswiresBlueskyReddit

What to know

  • A federal decision cuts Arizona's typical annual Colorado River draw by more than a quarter, hitting a state that gets over a third of its water from the river.
  • TSMC and Intel are simultaneously expanding massive, water-intensive advanced chip fabs in Arizona to meet AI-driven demand.
  • Industrial use, including chipmaking, is only about 6% of Arizona's water versus over 70% for agriculture, but growing fab demand is sharpening debate over which uses deserve priority as water gets scarcer and costlier.
  • City planners and industry are already conserving and seeking alternative water sources, but tensions are rising over who pays for new infrastructure.

“When there's a water scarcity issue you have to start looking at what the uses of that water are that bring the most value to the community.”

Kathryn Sorensen, Research director, Kyl Center for Water Policy, ASU · The Verge ↗ · Sep 10

Kathryn Sorensen Research director, Kyl Center for Water Policy, ASUTSMC Semiconductor manufacturer expanding in ArizonaIntel Semiconductor manufacturer expanding in Arizona

Federal Colorado River cuts squeeze Arizona's chip-manufacturing water supply
theverge.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 22 pieces in 3h at Sep 12, 1 PM; 42 pieces over 13 days (2 articles · 3 posts · 37 comments) Sep 11, 7 AM — 3 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post — Mastodon 2, Newswires 1Sep 11, 10 AM — quietSep 11, 1 PM — quietSep 11, 4 PM — quietSep 11, 7 PM — quietSep 11, 10 PM — quietSep 12, 1 AM — quietSep 12, 4 AM — quietSep 12, 7 AM — quietSep 12, 10 AM — quietSep 12, 1 PM — 22 pieces · 2 posts · 20 comments — Bluesky 21, Reddit 1Sep 12, 4 PM — 10 pieces · 10 comments — Bluesky 8, Reddit 2Sep 12, 7 PM — 5 pieces · 5 comments — Bluesky 4, Reddit 1Sep 12, 10 PM — 1 piece · 1 comment — Bluesky 1Sep 13, 1 AM — quietSep 13, 4 AM — quietSep 13, 7 AM — 1 piece · 1 comment — Reddit 1Sep 13, 10 AM — quietSep 13, 1 PM — quietSep 13, 4 PM — quietSep 13, 7 PM — quietSep 13, 10 PM — quietSep 14, 1 AM — quietSep 14, 4 AM — quietSep 14, 7 AM — quietSep 14, 10 AM — quietSep 14, 1 PM — quietSep 14, 4 PM — quietSep 14, 7 PM — quietSep 14, 10 PM — quietSep 15, 1 AM — quietSep 15, 4 AM — quietSep 15, 7 AM — quietSep 15, 10 AM — quietSep 15, 1 PM — quietSep 15, 4 PM — quietSep 15, 7 PM — quietSep 15, 10 PM — quietSep 16, 1 AM — quietSep 16, 4 AM — quietSep 16, 7 AM — quietSep 16, 10 AM — quietSep 16, 1 PM — quietSep 16, 4 PM — quietSep 16, 7 PM — quietSep 16, 10 PM — quietSep 17, 1 AM — quietSep 17, 4 AM — quietSep 17, 7 AM — quietSep 17, 10 AM — quietSep 17, 1 PM — quietSep 17, 4 PM — quietSep 17, 7 PM — quietSep 17, 10 PM — quietSep 18, 1 AM — quietSep 18, 4 AM — quietSep 18, 7 AM — quietSep 18, 10 AM — quietSep 18, 1 PM — quietSep 18, 4 PM — quietSep 18, 7 PM — quietSep 18, 10 PM — quietSep 19, 1 AM — quietSep 19, 4 AM — quietSep 19, 7 AM — quietSep 19, 10 AM — quietSep 19, 1 PM — quietSep 19, 4 PM — quietSep 19, 7 PM — quietSep 19, 10 PM — quietSep 20, 1 AM — quietSep 20, 4 AM — quietSep 20, 7 AM — quietSep 20, 10 AM — quietSep 20, 1 PM — quietSep 20, 4 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 1 AM — quietSep 21, 4 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 10 AM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quiet 12
Sep 12Sep 13Sep 14Sep 15Sep 16Sep 17Sep 18Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22now · 6:47 AM ET
  1. 2

    Report circulates widely on social media

    The Verge story gains traction on Bluesky, with a widely shared post highlighting the trade-off framing between agricultural and semiconductor water use.

    “There's not enough water for everything we want to do with it. .. So what do we have enough water for? What are the uses we most value? Is it cotton or is it microchips?”
    — Kathryn Sorensen
    • carlquintanilla.bsky.social

      “.. There’s not enough water for everything we want to do with it. .. So what do we have enough water for? What are the uses we most value? Is it cotton or is it microchips?” @theverge.com $TSM @scottlincicome.bsky.social

      carlquintanilla.bsky.socialBluesky11d ago611▲view on Bluesky ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 38 posts in this stretch

    • Really, the issue in Arizona is not only dwindling Colorado River water, but a massive (and probably unsustainable) growth in population, due to previously cheap real estate, favorable labor laws, and few restraints on building. It was probably predictable that the water would eventually be inadequate, but state and local governments were more…

      mipacu427r/technology11d agoview on r/technology ↗

    • It is profoundly idiotic to use Colorado River water for data centers. There is not enough water to supply current human populations levels in the American Southwest. And data centers will draw many billions of gallons from this insufficient supply. It is not remotely sustainable.

      experimental22.bsky.socialBluesky11d ago25▲view on Bluesky ↗
    all of them →
  2. 1

    The Verge details chip industry's exposure to the cuts

    Justine Calma reports that Arizona, a hub for the bipartisan chipmaking revival where TSMC and Intel are expanding water-intensive fabs, faces rising water costs and competition between agriculture, industry, and residents as Colorado River supply shrinks.

    “Our economy is changing, and that's really painful…”
    — Kathryn Sorensen
    1. 2 outlets Arizona’s lifeline for chip manufacturing is drying up

      first by Mastodon, 12d ago · also The Verge

  3. background

    Federal decision cuts Arizona's Colorado River allocation — A federal decision on managing the Colorado River's dwindling flow reduces Arizona's typical annual draw by more than a quarter, hitting the drought-prone state especially hard.

What people are saying 21 voices from 2 sites · best of 38 · verbatim