May 30, 2026 at 8:00 am Updated May 30, 2026 at 8:00 am Data centers constantly clamor for more water and power to fuel the artificial intelligence boom, yet discard staggering amounts of energy already received. In fact, every day global data centers discard 42 million kilowatts of energy, enough to simultaneously power America’s 13 largest cities all day long, from New York City to Seattle. Poof! All of that energy, gone, every single day. The technology to recapture that energy is simple, commercially proven over decades and pays for itself quickly. The problem is neither technology nor ingenuity: It is a failure of policy and incentive design.  The International Energy Agency projects U.S. data centers will consume approximately 260 terawatt-hours this year or roughly 6% of all American electricity, up from 4% just two years ago with Goldman Sachs estimating 8% by 2030. This demand strains already-stretched utilities and raises costs for every American.…