Texas leads nation in proposed power plants for data centers, which would emit large amounts of greenhouse gases
- Texas leads the nation with 32 planned power plants to fuel data centers, according to an Environmental Integrity Project report published Wednesday identifying 74 such facilities nationally.
- Artificial intelligence's rapid growth demands enormous computing power, prompting developers to build dedicated 'behind the meter' plants that bypass federal grid regulations; the EIP warns these facilities could emit nearly 662 million tons of greenhouse gases annually.
- Almost 90% of proposed plants are located in counties where life expectancy falls below the U.S. average of 77 years. Jen Duggan, executive director of EIP, warned these facilities will have "a really significant impact on local communities."
- President Donald Trump encouraged developers to build dedicated power plants as part of his Ratepayer Protection Pledge, while Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed utilities in June to ensure developers shoulder infrastructure costs rather than existing customers.
- San Marcos recently passed a citywide ban on data centers, testing a novel local approach. Several Texas counties attempted temporary construction pauses, though industry legal threats have scrapped multiple efforts.
15 Articles
15 Articles
New power plants for data centers would worsen pollution
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here. Data center developers in Pennsylvania plan to rely on at least seven new natural gas-fired power plants that would emit climate-warming gases equal to adding 14 million cars on the road every year, according to a new report. The report from the Environmental Inte…
Texas Regulators Approve Plan To Manage Large-Load Requests, Including Data Centers
With nearly 89 percent of massive load requests coming from data centers, Texas adopts a fast‑track study process that demands onsite power and flexible curtailment from the biggest users. The post Texas Regulators Approve Plan To Manage Large-Load Requests, Including Data Centers appeared first on Texas Scorecard.
Omaha World-Herald
Environmental report critical of data centers
WASHINGTON — Dozens of planned gas plants to directly power data centers in the United States could emit as much greenhouse gas annually as Australia or France, according to a report by an environmental group published Wednesday.
Texas leads nation in proposed power plants for data centers, which would emit large amounts of air pollution
Nearly half of the power plants planned to supply electricity for data centers would be in Texas. Experts warn they will emit significant pollution that could harm the health of communities nearby.
Texas grid is swamped by data center power requests 5x its all-time peak demand
Texas is quickly becoming a major hub for the AI boom, but the massive electricity demand tied to that growth is now colliding with rising concerns about the state's power grid, water supplies, and local oversight. Power requests linked to major projects in Texas now far exceed anything the state's grid has handled before. What's happening? Texas has at least 248 planned data center projects in addition to 335 existing facilities, according to a…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
