Planned US Data Centers Set to Produce 24M Cars’ Worth of Carbon Dioxide
Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:
A new analysis of the 60 largest data centers under construction in the US by Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft estimates the sites could produce a cumulative 101.5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually once they're fully up and running, Financial Times reports [Paywalled]. That's about 7% of all 2025 US power-sector emissions. Put another way, it's the equivalent of running 27 coal power plants or putting 24 million more gas-powered cars on the road.
The backlash against America's data center and artificial intelligence boom has been building for a while now, reaching a fever pitch over water use, land grabs and noise complaints. Recently, environmental activist Erin Brockovich has been mapping out communities affected by data center construction and operations, and polling shows that most Americans don't want AI factories anywhere near them.
Now, it appears there's a looming carbon problem to add to the pile.
Big Tech companies appeared publicly committed to cutting emissions just five years ago, making the new findings feel like a notable about-face. Financial Times found that Amazon's emissions climbed 16% from 2024 to 2025, driven by data center construction and a 34% jump in electricity purchases. Microsoft reported a 25% increase in estimated emissions during the same period, while Google's parent company, Alphabet, reported an 18% year-over-year increase in its emissions figure according to its own adjusted metric.
Researchers point to a mix of causes, from the sheer scale of demand for AI infrastructure to a political environment under the Trump administration that dramatically rolled back climate rules and clean energy tax credits in favor of fossil fuels.
Data center construction has revitalized local activism. In May, Albany, New York, residents gathered at a rally for the AI data center moratorium.
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