AI boom could erase 15 years of US emissions cut
What's the story
A recent analysis by the Sierra Club has revealed that nearly 15 years of hard-fought pollution reduction in the United States could be undone by a new wave of data centers powered by gas plants. The analysis predicts that if current AI developments go live as planned, the US energy grid will emit 2.1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2030.
Emission surge
AI emissions could exceed record levels
The Sierra Club's analysis indicates that the AI industry and its data center developers could see a 42% rise in emissions over the next five years.
This would mean an increase of 618 million tons compared to 2025, which was already a near-record year for US carbon emissions.
"The numbers continue to sort of boggle our minds," Jeremy Fisher, principal advisor for climate and energy at Sierra Club, told Bloomberg.
Power plants
Data centers and local pollution
The report highlights that many data center developers are opting for on- or near-site power plants, mostly powered by fossil fuels.
This is due to major bottlenecks in the electrical grid.
Projects like Elon Musk's 1.2 gigawatt data center near Memphis are already affecting residents with fleets of methane generators, which legal experts say violate local permitting and federal environmental regulations.
Location impact
Data centers and local communities
The Sierra Club report also highlights that around 70% of new data centers are planned for areas already struggling with air pollution. This could worsen the situation for local communities.
Fisher warns that emissions from these facilities could even exceed those from the entire US economy, further emphasizing their potential environmental impact.