theguardian.com
Negativetheguardian.com · · GB
AI datacentres plan on-site power stations on huge scale despite climate risks, research reveals
Executive Summary
AI-generatedResearch indicates that AI datacenter developers are planning to construct large-scale, on-site gas-fired power stations across the US and Europe. This massive capacity is necessitated by delays in connecting these facilities to existing national power grids. Experts warn that this approach could result in significant annual carbon emissions and create a long-term reliance on fossil fuels.
Key Insights
- Developers plan to build 181GW of on-site gas-fired capacity in the US and Europe to meet AI energy demands.
- The primary driver for this development is the slow pace of connecting datacentres to national electricity grids.
- The projected rollout could generate approximately 345 million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually in the US alone.
- While developers claim these gas plants are temporary, analysts warn the economics may encourage long-term fossil fuel lock-in.
- AI datacenter electricity demand is forecast to increase nearly fourfold by 2035, reaching 7% of global demand.
Topic context
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