Planned US Data Centers Linked to High Carbon Emissions
The Stargate AI data center in Abilene, Texas, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. Stargate is a collaboration of OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank, with promotional support from President Donald Trump, to build data centers and other infrastructure for artificial intelligence throughout the US. Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A new analysis of the 60 largest data centers under construction by Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft estimates these sites could produce 101.5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. This output is equivalent to adding 24 million gas-powered cars to the road or operating 27 coal power plants.
Three-quarters of the operators for these sites are planning new gas capacity, while one-third of those running coal plants are delaying retirement dates.
