A surge in the construction of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers may emerge as a significant new source of carbon emissions, according to a recent analysis.
The Financial Times reported on August 16 that an examination of 60 data centers being developed by Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta in the United States suggests that once operational, these facilities could emit approximately 101.5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.
This figure represents about 7% of the total carbon emissions from the U.S. power sector last year, comparable to the emissions produced by 27 coal-fired power plants or 24 million gasoline-powered cars over the course of a year.
The concern lies in the rapid increase in electricity demand from data centers, which is prompting an expansion of fossil fuel power generation.
Among the utility companies supplying power to the 60 data centers studied by the Financial Times, about 75% are planning or constructing new gas power plants. Additionally, 17% of these companies have directly cited the need for new power generation facilities to supply hyper-scale data centers as a reason for their expansion.
Plans to phase out coal power plants are also being delayed. Currently, one-third of the utilities operating coal plants have postponed their closure schedules.
While renewable energy sources like solar and wind are rapidly increasing, they are struggling to keep pace with the rising demand from data centers, leading power companies to rely on gas generation, which can be expanded more quickly.
Taylor McNair from the clean energy consulting firm GridLab noted, "There has been significant progress in the deployment of renewable energy over the past few years," but added, "When electricity demand surges, utility companies often turn to the easiest solution, which is to add gas generation."
The increase in emissions associated with the expansion of AI infrastructure is also reflected in reports from major tech companies. Amazon reported a 16% increase in greenhouse gas emissions between 2024 and 2025, attributing this rise primarily to the construction of data centers and increased fuel use for delivery vehicles, with emissions from power purchases rising by 34%.
Microsoft also noted a 25% increase in carbon emissions during the same period, citing the expansion of its data center infrastructure as a key factor.
Alphabet, Google's parent company, reported an 18% increase in related emissions due to heightened supply chain activities driven by rapid business expansion.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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