ComputeFinder

Research and contested claims

Follow the evidence, keep its limits

This source register connects claims about compute, power, water, local effects and shared opportunity to original research, methods and guidance within their stated boundaries.

It does not give sources a reputation score or turn disagreement into a popularity contest. A claim is reviewed against its own wording, place, period, units, method and evidence. Funding or advocacy is recorded when verified, but neither proves nor disproves a finding.

Curated sources

7

Published entries

Claims in context

4

Published reviews

Source register

7 curated source entries have passed the publication gates.

scenario evidence

United States Data Center Energy Usage Report: 2025 Update

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory · Published 18 June 2026 · Checked 5 October 2026

Question it helps answer: What does this public model estimate about US data-centre electricity use, and which assumptions shape its range?

Scope: United States data-centre electricity use across servers, storage, networking and facility infrastructure. Cryptocurrency mining is excluded.

Limit: It does not establish electricity demand, water use, emissions, grid impact, planning status, local costs, consent or delivered benefits for a particular site. It is not a global estimate or a commitment that a scenario will occur.

Open the complete evidence record

scenario evidence

Key Questions on Energy and AI

International Energy Agency · Published 16 April 2026 · Checked 5 October 2026

Question it helps answer: What does the IEA's current global model say about the direction of data-centre electricity demand, and which adoption, efficiency and infrastructure assumptions shape its cases?

Scope: Global and regional analysis of data-centre electricity demand, power supply, constraints, affordability and selected uses of AI in energy. It covers all data-centre workloads when modelling facility electricity, then separately analyses AI-focused infrastructure where the evidence permits.

Limit: It cannot establish the electricity or water demand, grid effect, planning merits, price effect, construction stage, community view or delivered benefit of a particular project. Its cases are not commitments, and global or regional results do not resolve a local decision.

Open the complete evidence record

guidance source

Cooling Water Efficiency Opportunities for Federal Data Centers

U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program · Publication date not recorded · Source page updated: not recorded · Checked 2026-10-31

Question it helps answer: Does an internal closed-loop label alone determine water consumption?

Scope: Selected text about internal liquid-cooling loops and final heat rejection.

Limit: A named site’s actual water, indirect footprint, peak electricity load or net saving.

Open the complete evidence record

guidance source

24/7 Hourly Matching of Electricity

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Publication date not recorded · Source page updated: 2025-12-12 · Checked 2026-10-31

Question it helps answer: What does annual matching establish compared with hourly/regional matching?

Scope: Annual-volume matching and hourly/regional matching as described by EPA.

Limit: A named PPA’s performance, local carbon intensity, congestion, additionality or zero emissions.

Open the complete evidence record

modelled evidence

UK Export Finance: Economic impacts of our support 2024 to 2025

UK Export Finance · Published 2025-07-17 · Source page updated: not recorded · Checked 2026-10-31

Question it helps answer: How do FTEs, headcount and job-years differ when employment support is reported?

Scope: Sections 5 and 6.2 only: how estimated supported employment is measured.

Limit: Actual hiring, a permanent-post conversion, data-centre construction employment or a transferable local multiplier.

Open the complete evidence record

guidance source

The MHCLG Appraisal Guide: employment-method scope

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · Publication date not recorded · Source page updated: 2026-02-18 · Checked 2026-10-31

Question it helps answer: Which boundaries matter before calling estimated jobs net additional local employment?

Scope: Employment paragraphs 6.22 to 6.25: local/national effects, additionality and locally appropriate multipliers.

Limit: A particular project’s staff count, jobs realised, FTE conversion or model multiplier.

Open the complete evidence record

modelled evidence

Energy Consumption in Data Centres and Broadband Communication Networks in the EU

European Commission Joint Research Centre · Published 2024-02-16 · Checked 2026-10-31

Question it helps answer: How was EU electricity use estimated when national data were incomplete?

Scope: EU-27 data-centre and telecommunications-network electricity use, treated separately.

Limit: Does not establish current demand, site performance, grid-queue positions, connection rights or available compute; not a forecast.

Open the complete evidence record

Before a source appears here, the record must preserve all of these fields. Unknown metadata stays unknown rather than being filled by inference.

What kind of evidence is it?

Evidence labels describe what a source does, not whether it is automatically right
LabelMeaning
MeasuredAn observation recorded with a stated method, place and period.
ModelledAn estimate produced from inputs and a model rather than direct observation alone.
ScenarioA conditional result showing what could follow from stated assumptions.
ForecastA prediction about a future period, with uncertainty and a time horizon.
CommitmentA dated undertaking by a named party, not evidence that delivery occurred.
OpinionAn attributed interpretation or position, not a measured result.
GuidanceRecommendations or a method description, not an empirical observation or modelled outcome by itself.

Claims in context

4 claim reviews have been published.

supported within stated bounds

DOE/FEMP describes a direct liquid-cooling arrangement in which a closed internal water loop passes heat onward to a cooling tower.

slug
closed-loop-label-water-boundaries
claim
DOE/FEMP describes a direct liquid-cooling arrangement in which a closed internal water loop passes heat onward to a cooling tower.
attribution
U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program technical guidance; independently worded account of the cited section.
claim date
Original publication date not established in the inspected HTML. The date displayed beneath an illustration is not assigned to this claim.
scope
Whether a cooling-system label alone settles a water conclusion. This is not a verdict on Cambois, another project, measured water use or a particular cooling design.
original evidence
  • DOE/FEMP: Direct Liquid Cooling Systems section (Method and source context)

    source notice: Source copyright and any applicable third-party rights are retained. Minimal independently worded attributed facts and ordinary unframed links only. No copied passages, figures, tables, model inputs, images, databases or broad source-use grant; no endorsement. No open licence is asserted unless separately identified for the exact component.

supporting evidence

No supporting-evidence recorded.

counter evidence

No counter-evidence recorded.

method differences
Separate internal heat transfer from final heat rejection, site water from electricity-related water, and annual energy from peak electrical demand.
finding
supported within stated bounds
reason
The technical text describes this arrangement as one variant. It supports that limited description, not zero site water or an observed whole-site footprint. The source alone does not quantify indirect water, net savings, electricity peaks or a universal trade-off.
unresolved questions
The actual heat-rejection design, climate, operating data, electricity source and timing remain needed for a named site. No peak-load, litres-per-task or total-water conclusion is admitted.
checked on
2026-10-31
reuse terms
Not recorded
licence url
Not recorded
source notice
Source copyright and any applicable third-party rights are retained. Minimal independently worded attributed facts and ordinary unframed links only. No copied passages, figures, tables, model inputs, images, databases or broad source-use grant; no endorsement. No open licence is asserted unless separately identified for the exact component.
attribution notice
Not recorded
derived work notice
Not recorded
funding interests
Not recorded
uncertainty
A bounded engineering description is not an empirical comparison of every cooling design. No additional supporting or contrary source is recorded for this exact assertion.
Dossier publication record

This is ComputeFinder's editorial record. Its checked on date retains the scoped claim-evidence check; adding this representation does not perform a new source or editorial check. Unknown publication dates and dossier-specific interests remain unrecorded, separately from the cited sources.

slug
closed-loop-label-water-boundaries
title
Closed loops and cooling-water boundaries
publisher
ComputeFinder
original url
https://computefinder.net/research/claims/closed-loop-label-water-boundaries
publication date
Not recorded
data period
Selected engineering guidance; no measured site period or common water/electricity comparison window is established.
scope
Whether a cooling-system label alone settles a water conclusion. This is not a verdict on Cambois, another project, measured water use or a particular cooling design.
method
Bounded editorial review of the recorded original, supporting and counter-evidence citations, with separate measurement definitions, a scoped finding and unresolved questions. This is not a systematic evidence review or an empirical site study.
evidence type
editorial_review
assumptions
The described cooling arrangement is a system variant. Internal heat transfer, final heat rejection, site water, electricity-related water and peak electrical load require separate boundaries.
uncertainty
A bounded engineering description is not an empirical comparison of every cooling design. No additional supporting or contrary source is recorded for this exact assertion. The dossier’s editorial publication date and dossier-specific funding/interests declaration are not recorded. Null interests do not mean that none exist. checked_on repeats the retained scoped claim-evidence check; it is not a new editorial metadata or source check.
funding interests
Not recorded
reuse terms
CC BY 4.0 applies only to ComputeFinder-owned original dossier wording and compilation rights. Cited third-party sources retain their own exact notices, attribution, reuse terms and exclusions; no source licence or endorsement is inherited.
checked on
2026-10-31
related question
Does an internal closed-loop label determine a data centre’s water consumption or electrical demand?
cannot establish
The actual heat-rejection design, climate, operating data, electricity source and timing remain needed for a named site. No peak-load, litres-per-task or total-water conclusion is admitted.

Open the complete claim review · Publication method

supported within stated bounds

UKEF explains that its estimated supported jobs are full-time equivalents rather than headcount, and that support across periods can be expressed as job-years.

slug
job-years-fte-and-headcount
claim
UKEF explains that its estimated supported jobs are full-time equivalents rather than headcount, and that support across periods can be expressed as job-years.
attribution
UK Export Finance, Economic impacts of our support 2024 to 2025, sections 5 and 6.2; independently worded methodological account.
claim date
17 July 2025, the displayed publication date; this is not a data-centre hiring event.
scope
The report’s employment-measurement definitions only. No UKEF model outcome, multiplier, forecast or employment result is transferred to a data centre or local planning application.
original evidence
  • UKEF report: limitations and full-time-equivalent definition (Method and source context)

    source notice: Crown copyright 2025, UK Export Finance. The government publication expressly states OGL v3.0 except identified third-party material. Minimal original attributed methodological facts and ordinary links only; no numerical results, worked examples, figures, tables, model inputs or third-party content copied. No endorsement or data-centre employment inference.

supporting evidence
counter evidence

No counter-evidence recorded.

method differences
FTEs standardise working hours, headcount counts people and job-years aggregate employment across periods. Local additional employment also needs its own counterfactual and population. These measures cannot be silently substituted for one another.
finding
supported within stated bounds
reason
The original method distinguishes hour-standardised employment from people and period aggregates. This supports reading the units separately; it does not demonstrate realised hiring or provide a permanent-post conversion for a construction total.
unresolved questions
A named data-centre planning case still needs independently reviewed construction periods, direct and indirect roles, operational staffing and local additionality assumptions. No project forecast or multiplier is admitted.
checked on
2026-10-31
reuse terms
Minimal attributed original account of the selected Crown government methodology under the publication’s express OGL v3.0 notice, with source/licence links and third-party exclusions.
licence url
Read the licence
source notice
Crown copyright 2025, UK Export Finance. The government publication expressly states OGL v3.0 except identified third-party material. Minimal original attributed methodological facts and ordinary links only; no numerical results, worked examples, figures, tables, model inputs or third-party content copied. No endorsement or data-centre employment inference.
attribution notice
Not recorded
derived work notice
Not recorded
funding interests
UKEF is the government issuer reporting on its own support. This provenance does not independently validate its model. MHCLG is a separate government appraisal-guidance issuer.
uncertainty
This dossier establishes a measurement distinction, not actual data-centre employment. The separate construction-versus-permanent planning case remains unfinished.
Dossier publication record

This is ComputeFinder's editorial record. Its checked on date retains the scoped claim-evidence check; adding this representation does not perform a new source or editorial check. Unknown publication dates and dossier-specific interests remain unrecorded, separately from the cited sources.

slug
job-years-fte-and-headcount
title
Job-years, headcount and local employment claims
publisher
ComputeFinder
original url
https://computefinder.net/research/claims/job-years-fte-and-headcount
publication date
Not recorded
data period
Selected employment-measurement methods; no construction or permanent data-centre staffing period is admitted.
scope
The report’s employment-measurement definitions only. No UKEF model outcome, multiplier, forecast or employment result is transferred to a data centre or local planning application.
method
Bounded editorial review of the recorded original, supporting and counter-evidence citations, with separate measurement definitions, a scoped finding and unresolved questions. This is not a systematic evidence review or an empirical site study.
evidence type
editorial_review
assumptions
Headcount, full-time equivalents, job-years, direct and indirect employment and local additionality remain distinct measures.
uncertainty
This dossier establishes a measurement distinction, not actual data-centre employment. The separate construction-versus-permanent planning case remains unfinished. The dossier’s editorial publication date and dossier-specific funding/interests declaration are not recorded. Null interests do not mean that none exist. checked_on repeats the retained scoped claim-evidence check; it is not a new editorial metadata or source check.
funding interests
Not recorded
reuse terms
CC BY 4.0 applies only to ComputeFinder-owned original dossier wording and compilation rights. Cited third-party sources retain their own exact notices, attribution, reuse terms and exclusions; no source licence or endorsement is inherited.
checked on
2026-10-31
related question
What can a job-year or full-time-equivalent estimate establish about permanent local data-centre jobs?
cannot establish
A named data-centre planning case still needs independently reviewed construction periods, direct and indirect roles, operational staffing and local additionality assumptions. No project forecast or multiplier is admitted.

Open the complete claim review · Publication method

supported within stated bounds

EPA distinguishes annual-volume electricity matching from hourly matching that normally considers the same region as consumption.

slug
annual-matching-hourly-local-power
claim
EPA distinguishes annual-volume electricity matching from hourly matching that normally considers the same region as consumption.
attribution
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 24/7 Hourly Matching of Electricity; independently worded account of its explanatory definitions.
claim date
Original publication date not established. The page states last updated 12 December 2025; that update is not treated as a new procurement event.
scope
What annual-volume matching alone establishes compared with hourly and regional matching. This is not an emissions audit or assessment of any named PPA, grid or project.
original evidence
  • EPA: annual-volume and hourly/regional definitions (Method and source context)

    source notice: Source copyright and any applicable third-party rights are retained. Minimal independently worded attributed facts and ordinary unframed links only. No copied passages, figures, tables, model inputs, images, databases or broad source-use grant; no endorsement. No open licence is asserted unless separately identified for the exact component.

supporting evidence

No supporting-evidence recorded.

counter evidence

No counter-evidence recorded.

method differences
Annual volume, hourly timing, procurement location, actual grid supply, location-based carbon intensity and congestion each need their own evidence.
finding
supported within stated bounds
reason
The inspected definitions support this distinction. They do not establish a named buyer’s hourly matching, local carbon intensity, actual power delivery or congestion outcome.
unresolved questions
A named case still needs load and generation timestamps, certificate/contract boundaries, geography and relevant grid evidence. No congestion, additionality or zero-emissions outcome is inferred.
checked on
2026-10-31
reuse terms
Not recorded
licence url
Not recorded
source notice
Source copyright and any applicable third-party rights are retained. Minimal independently worded attributed facts and ordinary unframed links only. No copied passages, figures, tables, model inputs, images, databases or broad source-use grant; no endorsement. No open licence is asserted unless separately identified for the exact component.
attribution notice
Not recorded
derived work notice
Not recorded
funding interests
Not recorded
uncertainty
The source is an explanatory EPA page, not measured hourly data. Its displayed update date is 12 December 2025; market conditions are not freshly generalised.
Dossier publication record

This is ComputeFinder's editorial record. Its checked on date retains the scoped claim-evidence check; adding this representation does not perform a new source or editorial check. Unknown publication dates and dossier-specific interests remain unrecorded, separately from the cited sources.

slug
annual-matching-hourly-local-power
title
Annual matching and hourly local electricity
publisher
ComputeFinder
original url
https://computefinder.net/research/claims/annual-matching-hourly-local-power
publication date
Not recorded
data period
Selected procurement definitions; no measured hourly electricity, emissions or transmission-congestion period is admitted.
scope
What annual-volume matching alone establishes compared with hourly and regional matching. This is not an emissions audit or assessment of any named PPA, grid or project.
method
Bounded editorial review of the recorded original, supporting and counter-evidence citations, with separate measurement definitions, a scoped finding and unresolved questions. This is not a systematic evidence review or an empirical site study.
evidence type
editorial_review
assumptions
Annual volume, hourly timing, location, physical grid supply and grid effects require separate evidence.
uncertainty
The source is an explanatory EPA page, not measured hourly data. Its displayed update date is 12 December 2025; market conditions are not freshly generalised. The dossier’s editorial publication date and dossier-specific funding/interests declaration are not recorded. Null interests do not mean that none exist. checked_on repeats the retained scoped claim-evidence check; it is not a new editorial metadata or source check.
funding interests
Not recorded
reuse terms
CC BY 4.0 applies only to ComputeFinder-owned original dossier wording and compilation rights. Cited third-party sources retain their own exact notices, attribution, reuse terms and exclusions; no source licence or endorsement is inherited.
checked on
2026-10-31
related question
What does annual renewable-electricity matching establish about hourly local power and grid effects?
cannot establish
A named case still needs load and generation timestamps, certificate/contract boundaries, geography and relevant grid evidence. No congestion, additionality or zero-emissions outcome is inferred.

Open the complete claim review · Publication method

supported within stated bounds

Company accounts describe a SWE04/Långsele development agreement and commercial negotiations; these sources do not establish delivered heat.

slug
swe04-langsele-heat-development
claim
Company accounts describe a SWE04/Långsele development agreement and commercial negotiations; these sources do not establish delivered heat.
attribution
atNorth and Calentix report their own project-development arrangements. The atNorth blog is a joint party account; Calentix describes its own project, not independent corroboration.
claim date
Publication and agreement-signature dates are not established. November 2026 is the period stated by Calentix for its project position, not an invented event day.
scope
The proposed first-phase district-heating connection associated with atNorth SWE04 and Långsele in Sollefteå municipality. Other atNorth sites and a possible later Sollefteå network phase are separate.
original evidence
  • Calentix: atNorth SWE04/Långsele project account, November 2026 position

    source notice: Minimal independently worded party-attributed facts and ordinary unframed original links only. Source copyright remains with its owners; no open source-content licence, copied text, imagery, chart, pipeline/database import or recurring acquisition grant. Publication, update, agreement-signature, retrieval and immutable-version metadata remain unestablished. The inspected accounts are party statements, not independent engineering or delivered-benefit verification.

  • atNorth and Calentix: why heat reuse starts with planning

    source notice: Minimal independently worded party-attributed facts and ordinary unframed original links only. Source copyright remains with its owners; no open source-content licence, copied text, imagery, chart, pipeline/database import or recurring acquisition grant. Publication, update, agreement-signature, retrieval and immutable-version metadata remain unestablished. The inspected accounts are party statements, not independent engineering or delivered-benefit verification.

  • Calentix projects: named SWE04/Långsele listing

    source notice: Minimal independently worded party-attributed facts and ordinary unframed original links only. Source copyright remains with its owners; no open source-content licence, copied text, imagery, chart, pipeline/database import or recurring acquisition grant. Publication, update, agreement-signature, retrieval and immutable-version metadata remain unestablished. The inspected accounts are party statements, not independent engineering or delivered-benefit verification.

supporting evidence

No supporting-evidence recorded.

counter evidence

No counter-evidence recorded.

method differences
A Project Development Agreement concerns development work, not a Heat Purchase Agreement or investment decision. Feasibility, commercial negotiations, finance and actual heat delivery are distinct. No quantities, capacity totals or modelled benefits are combined.
finding
supported within stated bounds
reason
The parties report a development agreement. Calentix labels the named project commercial negotiations in November 2026, with heat price, land access, grid terms and co-funding still under negotiation. Calentix leads project development; atNorth would provide heat access and site interfaces. These inspected accounts do not demonstrate a completed heat-purchase agreement, investment/financing decision or heat delivery.
unresolved questions
Look for separately usable evidence of the exact first-phase heat-purchase agreement, investment and financing decisions, and ultimately commissioned or delivered heat. The responsible project parties are Calentix and atNorth within their stated roles. Any later Sollefteå network connection is a distinct possible phase. No verified next-decision day or delivered local consequence is supplied here.
checked on
2026-11-06
reuse terms
Not recorded
licence url
Not recorded
source notice
Minimal independently worded party-attributed facts and ordinary unframed original links only. Source copyright remains with its owners; no open source-content licence, copied text, imagery, chart, pipeline/database import or recurring acquisition grant. Publication, update, agreement-signature, retrieval and immutable-version metadata remain unestablished. The inspected accounts are party statements, not independent engineering or delivered-benefit verification.
attribution notice
Not recorded
derived work notice
Not recorded
funding interests
Not recorded
uncertainty
The original publication and agreement-signature dates are unknown. The November 2026 project period does not date every underlying event. No independent technical, network-operator or delivered-benefit confirmation is recorded; an empty counter-evidence list means none is recorded, not that none exists.
Dossier publication record

This is ComputeFinder's editorial record. Its checked on date retains the scoped claim-evidence check; adding this representation does not perform a new source or editorial check. Unknown publication dates and dossier-specific interests remain unrecorded, separately from the cited sources.

slug
swe04-langsele-heat-development
title
SWE04 and Långsele: development agreement and negotiations
publisher
ComputeFinder
original url
https://computefinder.net/research/claims/swe04-langsele-heat-development
publication date
Not recorded
data period
The Calentix project account labels its position November 2026. This is a source-described period, not a publication day, agreement-signature day or observed heat-delivery date.
scope
The proposed first-phase district-heating connection associated with atNorth SWE04 and Långsele in Sollefteå municipality. Other atNorth sites and a possible later Sollefteå network phase are separate.
method
Bounded original-wording review of named company accounts and their precise source-use conditions. Distinguish project-development and negotiation statements from purchase agreements, investment decisions, financing and delivered heat.
evidence type
editorial_review
assumptions
Statements by atNorth and Calentix describe their own project. A joint account is not two independent corroborators. No physical-heat measurement or benefit calculation is imported.
uncertainty
Publication, update, signature, retrieval and immutable-source-version metadata are not established. This source-scoped review cannot establish whether later events occurred. The editorial publication date and dossier-specific funding/interests declaration remain unrecorded; null interests do not mean none exist.
funding interests
Not recorded
reuse terms
CC BY 4.0 applies only to ComputeFinder-owned original dossier wording and compilation rights. Cited sources retain their own rights and precise use conditions; no source licence or endorsement is inherited.
checked on
2026-11-06
related question
What has the SWE04/Långsele heat project reached, and which evidence would distinguish negotiations from delivered local heat?
cannot establish
A signed Heat Purchase Agreement, final investment decision, secured financing, construction, heat delivery, measured environmental benefit, current data-centre capacity or available compute. Unknown is not proof that an event never occurred.

Open the complete claim review · Publication method

A review keeps the exact claim and attribution, its original evidence, date and scope, relevant supporting and counter-evidence, material differences in methods, the reason for the finding and the questions that remain unresolved.

Review findings always need reasons and cited evidence
FindingWhat it means
Supported within stated boundsThe cited evidence supports the claim only within its recorded scope and conditions.
Partly supportedSome material parts are supported and other parts are not established.
Unsupported by the supplied sourceThe supplied source does not establish the claim as worded.
Contradicted by cited evidenceRelevant cited evidence conflicts with the claim within comparable boundaries.
UnresolvedThe available evidence does not support a responsible conclusion yet.

Checks before publication

  1. Read the original study, dataset or official document, not only a report about it.
  2. Record geography, data period, units, system boundary, method, assumptions and uncertainty.
  3. Separate direct measurement from models, scenarios, forecasts, commitments and opinions.
  4. Look for independent corroboration and relevant counter-evidence without manufacturing equal weight.
  5. Check funding, interests and reuse terms only from evidence that actually states them.
  6. Explain what the source cannot establish, especially when a sector estimate is discussed beside a local proposal.
  7. Keep the item in review until the exact-use source check, factual checks and the required independent review are complete.

Use this with project evidence

Research can frame a question, but it does not automatically establish conditions at one site. Use the community questions guide to build a local case file, the data centre records for project evidence, the method for publication rules and corrections to supply better public evidence.

Method published 4 October 2026. Review by 4 January 2027. Discovery leads are not counted as curated entries or reviewed claims.