United States: Water

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The rapid expansion of data centers to meet AI computing demands has triggered a wave of litigation across environmental, land-use, and regulatory fronts. As the Trump Administration pushes to fast-track data center development, local communities and advocacy groups are mounting legal challenges that raise novel questions about federal environmental statutes, state permitting processes, and the balance between infrastructure buildout and public engagement.

Chicago has become the latest city to push back against new data center development. On August 11, 2026, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed Executive Order 2026-5, titled “Protecting Chicagoans’ Clean Water, Clean Air, Energy Affordability, and Quality of Life.” The Order establishes an enhanced regulatory framework for data center development in Chicago. In the Order, the Mayor calls on the City Council to enact a temporary moratorium on new data center construction and material expansions of existing facilities.

Environmental groups push for statewide regulation of polluted stormwater runoff from commercial properties, while President Trump announces funding for a controversial coal-export terminal and the EPA launches an initiative to accelerate superfund site cleanups. California's Air Resources Board approves major changes to its cap-and-invest program, creating a $4 billion decarbonization fund amid concerns from climate advocates.

On May 18, 2026, following through on its May 2025 announcements, the Trump administration, through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), proposed two new PFAS rules. T

Here is a look at the groundbreaking recommendations from the SB 254 reports and other significant wildfire legislation introduced for the 2026 legislative session, which could fundamentally alter wildfire liability in California.

The data center market is moving at hyper-speed (pun intended). Data center developers, hyperscalers, and others are racing to acquire land, secure power, and deliver capacity as soon as possible.

Produced water – the fluid that surfaces alongside oil and gas during extraction, typically carrying high concentrations of dissolved salts and minerals – has long been the industry’s largest waste stream and one of its most persistent cost centers.

Texas is the epicenter of AI data center development in the U.S. – and water is emerging as a critical variable in project siting, permitting, and long-term operational resilience.