Microsoft says its data centers use 90% less water than its earliest facilities as public concern grows

Aerial view of Microsoft data center campus in Wisconsin. (Microsoft Photo) Microsoft announced Wednesday that over the past two decades, it has become dramatically more efficient in its use of water to cool data centers, slashing its consumption rate by 90% compared to levels when it opened its first facilities in the early 2000s. The company used 0.27 liters per kilowatt-hour last year, about three times better than the industry average.