After years of steady energy consumption rates, the Great Lakes region is expected to see a 2 to 3 percent annual rise in energy demand over the next ten years as data centers pop up at a rapid clip to support the AI boom. Not only will this growth rate place extra stress on local energy grids (and therefore on consumers’ bottom lines), it could also pose a real threat to water resources in an area where freshwater is rarely thought of as scarce. “The energy story emerging today is one of tumultuous change in energy supply and demand…