51猎奇

Center for Water Policy releases 鈥淎I-Data Centers: Legislative Model to Promote Transparency and Environmental Protections鈥�

AI-data centers are rapidly proliferating across the United States. These facilities promise technological and economic benefits but have associated steep increases in electricity and water use that can strain local resources and infrastructure. Communities are reporting growing concerns over water scarcity, higher utility rates, pollution, and stability of local power grids. Despite sustainability pledges from major tech companies, energy and cooling needs from AI-data centers continue an unchecked rise, and state incentives have often encouraged development without requiring adequate transparency and environmental protections. With no uniform federal framework and significant impacts emerging, lawmakers in many states are beginning to propose policies that strengthen disclosure, assess cumulative impacts, and establish efficiency and public engagement requirements. In our legislative framework, we articulate policy goals and offer options for comprehensive legislative responses. The model includes draft legislative language that can be customized by states and local governments to suit their needs. 

See a PDF version of our legislative model, also available below, or a version of the model.  

Citation: 

Emilie Washer, Tressie Kamp and Melissa Scanlan, AI-Data Centers: Legislative Model to Promote Transparency and Environmental Protections, Legislative Model, Center for Water Policy (2026).聽

Legislative Model for Data Centers 2026Download

Melissa Scanlan聽Featured on聽Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Panel on聽Data Centers聽

Center for Water Policy Director, Professor, and Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair Melissa Scanlan was a featured expert on the Milwaukee Journal鈥檚 Town Hall panel on water use by AI-data centers. Professor Scanlan highlighted that water demands include the water used to create electricity for the data centers and water used to cool them. She also emphasized the level of governance needed is at the scale where impacts are seen (state and regional).   

 about the panel discussion at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and watch the full event .  

The Journal Sentinel has other information on data centers available, including an .  

Want to learn more? Check out the Center for Water Policy鈥檚 research on data centers:   

  • 聽| Rutgers Computer and Technology Law Journal聽聽
  • 聽| The Conversation聽聽
  • 聽 | American Bar Association聽

We’re聽Hiring聽a New Lawyer! Now Accepting Applications for Water Policy Specialist聽

The Center for Water Policy has launched a national search for a Water Policy Specialist. This position is designed to immerse emerging lawyers in the dynamic world of applied research for multidisciplinary water policy solutions. 

The Water Policy Specialist will work with research teams and interact with the public and private sector to inform policy making. 鈥淲e are searching for new talent to build our research team; through this position we support a water professional who is starting their career and positively shaping water policy,鈥� said Melissa Scanlan, Center for Water Policy Director and Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair and Professor in Water Policy. 

A range of possible projects includes water justice and equity; water infrastructure and climate resiliency; AI data centers; public access to coastal resources; PFAs contamination; sustainable freshwater management practices; innovation in the water sector; and integrating water data into decision-making. 

This position is strengthened by a collaboration with Sea Grant. The Water Policy Specialist within the Center for Water Policy will be a UW Water Science-Policy Fellow, part of a cohort of Fellows from the , home to the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program and the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute. 

Apply by April 7, 2026. 

Full Position Description: 

26-2-16 WaterPolicySpecialist-PositionDescriptionDownload

Upcoming Center for Water Policy聽Public Outreach and Education聽Events聽

The Center鈥檚 mission is to provide world class interdisciplinary solutions to resolve problems related to the protection, restoration,聽and conservation of freshwater resources.聽Our staff have already committed to聽over聽20聽private and public engagements聽in聽the first half of聽2026聽to聽advance that mission by聽sharing聽our聽expertise聽in聽the field of water聽law聽and聽policy.聽We will speak at and host events on topics ranging from data centers to water access as a human right.聽We聽invite you to join us at聽any聽of the public events聽to learn more about how to聽protect聽water resources in the Great Lakes and beyond!聽

26-2-5_Web Version_CWP Spring 2026 Public Outreach_EducationDownload

Director Melissa Scanlan Appears聽on W51猎奇 to Discuss聽Beach Walking Case聽

Center for Water Policy Director, Professor, and Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair Melissa Scanlan was interviewed聽about聽聽on behalf of Paul Florsheim after聽a municipal judge found聽him聽guilty of trespassing聽when he聽walked the shores聽of a聽Lake Michigan聽beach聽in the Village of Shorewood.聽聽

Read more on

Director Melissa Scanlan Co-Authors聽鈥淲ater Law in a Nutshell鈥澛�

Center for Water Policy Director, Professor, and Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair Melissa Scanlan co-authored the 7th edition of 鈥淲ater Law in a Nutshell,鈥� published by West Academic. This newest edition, co-authored with water law professors Sandra Zellmer from the University of Montana School of Law and Adell Amos from the University of Oregon School of Law, adds dozens of recent decisions and key statutory changes. The 7th edition explains legal changes in evolving areas like climate disruption, groundwater-surface water conflicts, public recreational uses, instream flow protection, federal water development, takings claims, and water access and equity. Center for Water Policy alumni Daniel McLennon and Emma Ehrlich provided research assistance.  

This book is an excellent aid for students, practitioners, and judges. Copies are available to purchase on the  in both eBook and softbound formats. 

Water-in-a-Nutshell-FlyerDownload

Center for Water Policy Quoted in聽Smithsonian聽Magazine聽Story聽Covering U.N.聽University聽Report on Global Water 鈥楤ankruptcy

Center for Water Policy Director, Professor, and Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair Melissa Scanlan was quoted in a聽Smithsonian Magazine聽article examining a聽recent report from the United Nations University, the U.N.鈥檚 research arm,聽that聽聽finds聽climate change, pollution and decades of overuse have pushed the world into a state of 鈥渨ater bankruptcy,鈥澛燼 state they define as a long-term condition that requires a global reset in approaches.聽聽Scanlan highlighted the report鈥檚 value in聽showing repeat patterns. She said,聽鈥淚t鈥檚聽not聽just the Southern聽Hemisphere,聽it鈥檚聽not聽just the Middle East. There is something larger at play in terms of how聽we鈥檙e聽treating water across the world.鈥澛燩rofessor Scanlan鈥檚 water law and policy research has included analysis of water budget issues,聽highlighting聽how climate change and population pressures have intensified water management challenges聽in聽the聽relatively water-rich聽North American聽Great Lakes.聽

Read the full article from the Smithsonian Magazine here: .   the UN report. 

And read the Center鈥檚 law review article on climate change and population pressures intensifying water management challenges here. 

Center for Water Policy Quoted in Wisconsin Public Radio Story on Shorewood Beach Walking聽Municipal聽Court聽Ruling聽聽聽聽

The article follows the case of 51猎奇 professor Paul Florsheim, who is fighting Shorewood鈥檚 issuance of a trespassing citation for walking across a stretch of Lake Michigan beach between the water鈥檚 edge and the Ordinary High Water Mark that he has frequented for more than fifty years.  

On January 28, 2026, Shorewood Municipal Court found Paul Florsheim guilty of trespassing, based on her interpretation of a 1923 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling, Doemel v. Jantz, which found that the public must keep their feet wet when walking along the shore of the inland lake, Lake Winnebago. If Florsheim appeals, his first stop will be the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Center for Water Policy Director, Professor, and Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair Melissa Scanlan comments that Wisconsin courts have never decided this issue for the shores of the Great Lakes, unlike Michigan and Indiana, which have supreme court decisions that protect the public trust right to walk on the beaches of the Great Lakes. 

Read the full story on Wisconsin Public Radio:  

Read more of the Center鈥檚 Public Trust Doctrine research here!  

Photo Credit: Evan Casey/WPR聽

Center for Water Policy Quoted in聽Milwaukee Journal Sentinel聽Story on Shorewood Beach Walking聽Municipal聽Court聽Ruling聽聽

The article follows the case of 51猎奇 professor Paul Florsheim, who is fighting Shorewood鈥檚 issuance of a trespassing citation for walking across a stretch of Lake Michigan beach between the water鈥檚 edge and the Ordinary High Water Mark that he has frequented for more than fifty years.  

On January 28, 2026, Shorewood Municipal Court found Paul Florsheim guilty of trespassing, based on her interpretation of a 1923 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling, Doemel v. Jantz, which found that the public must keep their feet wet when walking along the shore of the inland lake, Lake Winnebago. If Florsheim appeals, his first stop will be the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Center for Water Policy Director, Professor, and Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair Melissa Scanlan comments on the rights that co-exist on the disputed beach area and the need for clarity by a higher-level court. 

Read the full story on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:  

Read more of the Center鈥檚 Public Trust Doctrine research here!  

Photo Credit: Fox 6 News Milwaukee聽

Center for Water Policy Quoted in聽Times-Picayune聽Story聽on Water Use of聽Planned Louisiana聽AI-Data聽Center聽聽

Center for Water Policy Director, Professor, and Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair Melissa Scanlan was quoted in a Times-Picayune article investigating the water use of Meta鈥檚 planned AI-data center in rural northeast Louisiana. New reporting revealed the facility will use an average of 1.5 million gallons of water per day, raising questions about how large industrial water users are monitored and regulated. 

Professor Scanlan was quoted in the story, noting that while some AI-data centers rely on 鈥渃losed-loop鈥� cooling systems, the overall water footprint can be larger than it appears once the water used to generate electricity is considered. 鈥淚ronically, you might be using more water,鈥� Scanlan said. 

Researchers and policymakers cited in the article warned that Louisiana lacks robust oversight of groundwater withdrawals, even as AI-data centers expand rapidly nationwide, underscoring the need for clearer regulation as AI infrastructure grows. 

Read the full story here:  

Read more of the Center for Water Policy鈥檚 research on data centers:  

  • 聽| Rutgers Computer and聽Technology聽Law Journal聽
  • 聽| The Conversation聽
  • 聽 | American Bar Association聽