New US Data Centers Projected to Emit More Carbon Than All of Mexico

Thank you @eroston.bsky.social and colleagues for highlighting the emissions of data centers, which hasn't gotten nearly enough attention IMO. (My piece on that is here: www.transitiontimes.net/tt-15-data-c...) 🎁🔗 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Projections of data center emissions are kind of all over the place. But a new upper-end one from the Sierra Club finds they could outweigh years of carbon cuts from the US power sector and exceed the greenhouse gases from whole countries. Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

‘The surge in construction of fossil-fueled power plants to run AI data centers is set to undo 15 years’ worth of greenhouse gas reductions from US electricity generation, according to analysis by the Sierra Club. “The numbers continue to sort of boggle our minds.”’ www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

😡🔥😡🔥😡 The data center boom could increase greenhouse gases so much that it reverses years of reductions in US power emissions, a new analysis finds... https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-28/us-data-center-buildout-risks-erasing-years-of-climate-progress?

The data center boom could increase greenhouse gases so much that it reverses years of reductions in US power emissions, a new analysis finds www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Bloomberg.com: New US Data Centers Projected to Emit More Carbon Than All of Mexico www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

EXCLUSIVE New US Data Centers Projected to Emit More Carbon Than All of Mexico https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-28/us-data-center-buildout-risks-erasing-years-of-climate-progress?utm_source=website&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=copy

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

"The surge in construction of fossil-fueled power plants to run AI data centers is set to undo 15 years’ worth of greenhouse gas reductions from US electricity generation...." "The US power sector would emit 2.1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2030, ... www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

While there is a lot of uncertainty in emissions outcomes from the rise of data centers, the downside risks are pretty severe. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Sierra Club expects US power emissions to hit 2.1B metric tons by 2030, up 42% on 2025 and erasing 15 years of cuts, with off-grid data centers matching Mexico (Bloomberg) Main Link | Techmeme Permalink

"The US power sector would emit 2.1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2030, after factoring in planned AI projects. That’s 618 million tons more than 2025 levels, by the Sierra Club’s calculations, or about a 42% increase."

“If the rush to build AI data centers leads to the upper bounds of the emissions projected by these researchers, it represents a reversal of a two-decade economic and policy trend toward less US power-sector climate pollution”

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Resharing with a gift link

Let's also not forget the exigencies

www.bloomberg.com/news/article... We are cooked. #datacenters #climatechange #climate #carbon

Why insisting that AI hyperscale developers must "bring their own power" is completely beside the point. It's the gas-burning generators, stupid. Doesn't matter who owns them.

Data centers are the incandescent ceiling can lights of their generation, undoing decades of progress to combat climate destabilization www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Generative AI is not the type of AI that will solve climate change. New US Data Centers Projected to Emit More Carbon Than All of Mexico - Bloomberg www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

The Sierra Club estimates the U.S. power sector would emit 2.1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2030 if planned data centers projects are built, canceling out 15 years of power-sector emissions declines, though the future of many of those AI projects remains cloudy.

Sierra Club finds fossil plants for new US data centers could erase 15 years of power-sector emissions cuts, out-emitting Mexico

New US Data Centers Projected to Emit More Carbon Than All of Mexico (Bloomberg) Main Link | memeorandum Permalink

New US Data Centers Projected to Emit More Carbon Than All of Mexico The boom is set to produce enough greenhouse gases to cancel out 15 years of declines in power-sector emissions, according to a Sierra Club analysis. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

See: