AI’s energy demand is skyrocketing and the climate may be the casualty

Technology companies have been rushing to bring new cloud computing services and especially artificial intelligence tools into the public sphere. This boom in AI has seen a massive surge in data center construction across the nation, especially of hyperscale data centers.

The growth of these massive IT and CPU warehouses has meant the need for more electricity to run all the rows and stacks of servers within as well as air conditioning systems to keep them from overheating, which also use billions of gallons of water.

Development of additional renewable energy infrastructure has not be able to keep up with the exponential increase in demand, meaning that fossil fuels are being used to power the data centers. This has raised concerns about rising carbon emissions, among other environmental degradation from these facilities.

How much energy are data centers using?

The amount of energy use by data centers tripled over the decade from 2014 and could do so again by 2028 according to a US Department of Energy report at the end of last year. In 2023, data centers consumed roughly 4.4% of total electricity demand in the United States, but that could rise to as much as 12% within the next three years, going from 176 TWh in 2023 up to 580 TWh by 2028.

According to a 2024 study cited by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute in its analysis of the impact of data centers on the environment, the facilities increased their emissions by 300% from 2018 levels and were responsible for 2% of all US emissions in 2024.

Furthermore, of the nearly 1,800 data centers analyzed, out of almost 5,500 in the US, their average carbon emissions equivalent per kilowatt hour was 50% more than the national average as many are located in carbon-intensive areas.

Virginia, which was heavily represented in the study, has the largest concentration of data centers in the world. There, the facilities use roughly 25% of the energy demand of the area’s grid according to Costa Samaras, a former principal assistant director for energy in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The regional grid gets 61% of its energy from fossil fuel sources, compared to 56% on average for all data centers combined. Nationally, only 22% of data centers’ energy consumption comes from renewable sources and 21% from nuclear power.

Additionally, some of these facilities run their own natural gas and diesel generators on site as the grid cannot keep up with their needs. Some of these facilities are located next to residential areas causing health concerns for residents from air pollutants.

On top of that, there is also the constant 24/7 noise that they create, which Gregory Pirio, who lives just 150 yards from one, told the Smithsonian Magazine can reach 90 decibels. Noise in excess of 85 decibels for extended periods of time can cause permanent hearing loss.

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