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AI power buildout could undo 15 years of US electricity-sector emissions cuts
An internal Sierra Club analysis warns that fossil-fuel plants built to power AI data centers could erase 15 years of US electricity-sector emissions cuts. Including planned AI projects, it estimates carbon dioxide emissions could reach 2.1 billion tonnes in 2030, about 42% above 2025. Forecasts of future emissions remain sharply divided.
What to know
- 01
Most added emissions by 2030 are projected to come from power facilities not directly connected to the public grid; a Sierra Club adviser says their emissions could exceed 460 million tonnes.
- 02
A separate analysis by Earthjustice and Better Data Center Project estimates that natural gas could supply 80% of the energy required by data centers’ on-site power facilities.
Why it matters
These projections highlight the potential impact of expanding power supplies for AI data centers on past emissions reductions in the US electricity sector.
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