U.S. AI data centre pollution fears

Construction of at least 74 gas-fired power stations needed for the
AI industry boom are being fast-tracked across the U.S. – bypassing
federal regulations as they’re not linked to major electrical grids

PROPOSED NEW GAS PLANTS FOR AI DATA CENTRES

UNITED STATES

PA
PA
OH
OK
MS
NC
VA
AZ
UT
NM
WY
WV

New power
station
sites*

TEXAS

Lubbock
El
Paso

Corpus
Christi

Houston
Austin
San Antonio
Dallas

Off-grid or behind the
meter power projects
are ⁠often approved in
secret, says Reuters

662 million

TONS OF GREENHOUSE
GAS POLLUTION FROM
NEW PLANTS PER YEAR

EQUIVALENT TO
POLLUTION FROM

140 million

CARS AND TRUCKS
DRIVING EACH YEAR

OR ENTIRE EMISSIONS OF
AUSTRALIA

*Locations of seven proposed power plants are unknown and thus not displayed on maps,
and some power plants are near one another and occupy same map location marker
Sources: Reuters, Environmental Integrity Project
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