US EditionHow the AI boom derailed clean‑air efforts in one of America's most polluted cities
Trump’s rollbacks could keep Labadie running for at least another decade as Ameren says data-center demand adds 2.3 gigawatts of peak load.
- In February, President Donald Trump's administration scrapped federal soot standards to support surging electricity demand from artificial intelligence data centers, reversing 2024 regulations that would have forced power plants to slash emissions.
- St. Louis residents breathe "good" air during only one-third of the year, ranking 475th in air quality among 501 U.S. metro areas, while the Labadie Energy Center emits soot at two to three times the rate of other coal plants.
- Soot pollution from power plants kills African Americans at a rate 25% higher than the national average, driving an economic burden of up to $5.5 billion annually, with about $820 million borne by St. Louis area residents.
- Darnell Tingle, director of United Congregations of Metro-East, called the region a "sacrifice zone," while Ameren spokesperson Craig Giesman stated the utility remains focused on "operating responsibly" as data center demand outpaces cleaner power rollout.
- The U.S. Department of Energy estimates artificial intelligence and data center growth will create 50 gigawatts of new electricity demand by 2030, a nearly 4% increase, forcing utilities to keep aging coal plants running.
11 Articles
11 Articles
How the AI boom derailed clean‑air efforts in one of America’s most polluted cities
By Valerie Volcovici and Tim McLaughlin April 10 (Reuters) - Barbara Johnson has been fighting coal pollution for decades in her mostly Black neighborhood of North St. Louis as an organizer with Metropolitan Congregations United – one of many activist ...
How the AI boom derailed clean‑air efforts in one of America's most polluted cities
Barbara Johnson has been fighting coal pollution for decades in her mostly Black neighborhood of North St. Louis as an organizer with Metropolitan Congregations United – one of many activist groups campaigning for cleaner air in a city that has some of the country’s dirtiest.
The Coal Comeback: AI Boom Threatens U.S. Clean Air Progress
Barbara Johnson, fighting coal pollution in North St. Louis, sees environmental progress reversed by Trump's policies supporting data centers. The rollback of Biden's soot standards could prevent Ameren's plant from reducing emissions, threatening St. Louis's air quality amid AI-driven power demands.
AI vs clean air: Is the tech boom derailing America’s most polluted cities?
The surge in electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence is breathing new life into the American coal industry, a shift that activists say comes at the cost of public health in the nation’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. Following President Donald Trump’s executive order to “reinvigorate” the coal sector, the administration has rolled back 2024 soot standards that were set to take effect in 2027. The move aims to support an estimated 50…
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