Professor Richard Werner articulates that banks...

Editor's note: ...do not merely intermediate existing money but create new "fairy dust magic money out of nothing" when issuing loans, making credit creation the core driver of the economy. He stresses that directing this credit productively toward small businesses and real investment fuels sustainable growth, while speculative lending creates bubbles and inequality. Werner is highly critical of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), warning they enable total surveillance, programmable money, and unprecedented government control over individuals' spending. As an alternative, he advocates a decentralized system of locally owned, not-for-profit community banks (inspired by German Sparkassen) that focus on lending to local SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises), delivering better economic outcomes, higher productivity, and greater financial stability.

More from the interview above:

Banking and development economist Richard Werner says the real reason we are seeing so many Data Centers being put up so quickly is because they are building the surveillance and digital currency network right now

“We are so close to the scariest, most dystopian system. This is… pic.twitter.com/YzSwzaFwXe

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) May 25, 2026

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The explosion of AI across every industry has seen hundreds of water and power-hungry server farms sprout up across the US. Already, one-third of the world's internet traffic flows through data centers in just one US state: Virginia (home of the CIA):

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Issues With Data Centers Include Power, Water, Land, Noise, Health, Revenue, Privacy, Local Economy; With Little Benefit To You

May 22, 2026 | By S.E. Gunn, PhD

I reported on Data Centers starting with EO 14318 Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure (discussed in my July 24, 2025, July 7, 2026, and March 11, 2026 ANP Articles), and in my March 10, 2026 ANP Article where I addressed Proclamation 11014 Ratepayer Protection Pledge as well as the White House article President Trump Secures Historic Commitment to Keep Electricity Costs Down Amid Data Center Boom. The goal of the proclamation was

To remove consumer's concerns that the huge AI data centers being built will force rate increases upon normal consumers. These AI data center companies "guarantee" they will build, bring, or buy the resources for their electricity needs as well as pay for the new infrastructure necessary to deliver said power. In addition, these companies agree to invest in local communities and contribute to a more reliable grid overall in the community.

President Trump’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge is putting America first.

He’s calling on the nation’s leading AI companies to build, bring, or buy 100% of the energy they need for their data centers.

No more sticking Americans with the bill. ⚡ pic.twitter.com/pCxacrTfjy

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 19, 2026

It does not look like the Ratepayer Protection Pledge has made an impact on the electricity use of Data Centers. Neighborhoods are seeing their utility rates going up already. Many are attempting to fight back against these data centers being established in their areas. The main problem is that residents are limited in their funds to legally battle against these huge operations that seem to have unlimited funding to fight, and ultimately win, legal battles (simply because they exhaust the resources of those fighting the battle).

A second issue with Data Centers water usage. Our own Bart's Bantering speaks of what is happening in Utah with data centers now wanting more of the nearby receding water supply (in the middle of a long-term drought no less). In 2017, James Hamilton, in his Perspectives Blog, identified Water Consumption as an unaddressed Data Center issue (image above). On October 17, 2025, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy investigated power and water use by existing Data Centers and found a mid-sized Data Center consumes as much water as a small town and larger ones consume as much as a city of 50,000 people. Newer AI centers use as much electricity as 100,000 homes (or more). The Data Center planned for Wyoming will use more electricity than every home in the state combined. A study by Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) and the University of Houston say Data Centers in Texas will use 399 billion gallons of water by 2030. This would be the equivalent of dropping the water level in Lake Mead by more than 16 feet a year. And that's just the data centers in Texas.

Why do Data Centers need water? They use evaporative cooling (which uses water) because it is cheaper than using air conditioning. What about reclaimed or recycled water? That water used to go back into the water supply. If Data Centers claim that water for their evaporative cooling needs, the water will not be returned to the municipal water supply causing many issues. For example, removing water from rivers or lakes but not returning reclaimed or recycled water leaves behind high concentrations of salts and other contaminants.

There are alternatives to the water issue. For example, closed-loop water systems (which the Bellagio Fountain uses in Las Vegas) but these require more electricity. Then there is immersion cooling where the item is fully submerged in liquid, like synthetic oil, which removes the heat but not the electricity. This solution is very expensive and, of course, Data Centers want to operate on the least amount of costs possible. So, taking your water is the least expensive option for them but the most devastating option for We The People. Up to 43% of the largest Data Centers are located in areas that have been experiencing extreme water stress (drought).

Data Center operators are reticent about giving specific numbers about how much electricity and water their centers consume. The only way to know for sure is to watch the water table in your area; however, by the time the true consumption numbers are known, the damage is already done. Google reported it used more than 5 billion gallons of water in 2023 and acknowledging 31% of that came from medium or high water scarcity watersheds.

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