Peyton McCauley, Water Policy Specialist, was a featured speaker at the Rutgers Computer & Technology Law Journal “Guardrails for Green Tech: Legal Perspectives on AI’s Environmental Impacts” symposium on April 25, 2025. Peyton presented on her legal research into the water demands and energy use of data centers. Her presentation covered the growing resource demands of AI systems and the critical need for sustainable innovation.
This builds on recent research by Water Policy Specialist Peyton McCauley, Director Melissa Scanlan, and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences Master’s student Dan McLennon, where they explored how private ESG reporting is used to assess the water consumption of AI and data centers — and the challenges that arise from limited transparency in private environmental governance.