Quincy

Microsoft · Quincy, Washington

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The resource footprint

Modelled average

In one day, this campus consumes about

6.1950-metre swimming pools

Filled with the volume of water consumed by the campus and its electricity supply.

The actual estimate4,086,372 US gallons consumed

50-metre pools · 2 metres deep

Each diagram = 1 pool. Partial shading shows the remainder.

At the campus740,052 galMaking its electricity3,346,320 gal

Power-plant water may come from a different watershed. This is a volume comparison, not a claim that households lose this water.

At current operating capacity · Annual model spread evenly over time, not a live meter. Site estimates may differ by roughly ±40%.

Comparison sizes & sources

One pool = 50 × 25 × 2 metres = 2.5 million litres (about 660,430 US gallons). Pool depths vary; this is a defined comparison size.

One home-year = 10,791 kWh, the EIA’s 2022 average US residential electricity purchases. This excludes electricity generated at home and is a fixed US benchmark for all sites.

One car-year = 4.6 tonnes CO₂, the EPA’s typical passenger vehicle tailpipe estimate. The campus model is in CO₂e; the comparison expresses approximate climate scale, not equal mixtures of pollutants.

Monthly values are annual totals ÷ 12; daily values are annual totals ÷ 365. Actual demand varies. Comparisons cover the whole campus, including non-AI uses.

Water: see the numbers and sources

This is water used up, mainly through evaporation. Power-generation water may be used in a different watershed.

Total water use1,492M gal/yr

Evaporated on site270M gal

Making the power1,221M gal

Household comparison18,644homes, at 80,000 gal/year

Pressure on local water: Medium-High — a regional measure of demand compared with available water
Where the water comes from: Surface water — river, lake or canal
Cooling: Evaporative on Columbia basin irrigation water; adiabatic retrofit under way
Basis: Fitted to a published figure of 270 million gallons a year

Air: see the numbers and sources

The totals include nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and fine particles. They cover both this site and the power plants supplying it.

Nitrogen oxides124t/yr

Sulphur dioxide53.3t/yr

Fine particulates14.2t PM2.5

Health (EPA)$10.8M/yr

Health range: $3.67–10.8 million a year. Lower bound is EASIUR national mid-range; upper is EPA benefit-per-ton at a ~$12M VSL.
Statistical deaths: 0.90 a year at that VSL — a national-average conversion from tons, not a local concentration study.
Equals: 155,600 cars of NOx
Where it burns: WECC Northwest — Ore. / Wash.
Generation mix: Hydro 48 · Gas 22 · Wind 15 · Nuclear 6
Diesel backup: Diesel backup is not yet counted for this campus, so on-site air figures are a floor.
CO₂e: 233 kt/yr — climate, not air quality

The project, approvals and community concerns

Who asked for it: Microsoft — self-build and Azure customers
Who approved it: Grant County PUD hydro supply at some of the cheapest industrial rates in the US; City of Quincy water agreements
What it serves: Azure west US region
IT capacity: 250 MW current capacity / 450 MW full-build scenario

The original cheap-hydro data center town, built around Grand Coulee power. Quincy's own water infrastructure had to be expanded for the campuses, and the diesel backup permits there triggered one of the first US data center air-quality fights back in 2012.

water-stressed basin

Keep this guide handy

47.2343°, -119.8523°

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Quote or share these estimates

Gigawatt Ledger (2026). Quincy: water and air. https://gigawatt-ledger.pages.dev/site/quincy/. Modelled from disclosed capacity; site-level error ±40%.

Include the estimate’s date, whether it describes current or proposed capacity, and its uncertainty. Get an embeddable card.

Gigawatt Ledger · September 2026. Water and air figures are estimated from public records and disclosed capacity. How we calculate them · Use this in your community.