Off-grid gas emissions in the U. S. could reach 460 million tons by 2030
US power-sector emissions could rise 42% above 2025 levels by end of the decade
Gas turbines now supply electricity to roughly 40% of American data centres
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States is creating new concerns about the country’s ability to reduce CO 2 emissions. A new Sierra Club assessment warns that electricity generation associated with planned data center developments could reverse years of environmental gains. By 2030, CO 2 emissions linked to the expansion could exceed 460 million metric tons, matching Mexico’s annual carbon dioxide emissions. Data center expansion threatens emissions reduction efforts
The environmental organisation estimates that electricity demand from proposed facilities could substantially increase pollution from the American power sector before the decade ends. Projections indicate that CO 2 emissions could reach 2. 1 billion metric tons, representing a 42% increase over 2025 levels. “The numbers continue to sort of boggle our minds,” said Jeremy Fusher, Sierra Club’s principal advisor for climate and energy, expressing surprise at the scale of the latest estimates. The organisation’s earlier calculations placed the projected increase between 25% and 50% of its current estimate. The revised assessment therefore indicates that electricity requirements associated with planned computing infrastructure could create a huge environmental cost. Natural gas remains an important part of the electricity supply supporting American data centres. Approximately 40% of these facilities receive electricity from gas turbines, while renewable energy additions are struggling to match rapidly increasing consumption…