Texas data centers could reverse decades of air quality gains
Original title: Data centers could erase decades of air quality gains
HARC says the expected Texas grid mix could more than triple power-sector soot within five years.
A Houston Advanced Research Center report says new and proposed data centers in Texas could sharply raise power-sector pollution if they use the anticipated grid mix. In that five-year scenario, soot would more than triple to the highest level since 2006, NOx would rise 136 percent, and carbon dioxide would climb 90 percent above 2025. HARC modeled three demand projections and said onsite renewables could cut NOx by up to 10 times, while onsite gas engines could produce the highest pollution.
Unconfirmed: Outcomes depend on speculative projects and whether power comes from the grid, onsite renewables, or gas engines.
- Texas has 26 gigawatts of existing and under-construction data center capacity.
- A March Wood Mackenzie report says Texas leads proposed onsite-powered capacity by four times.
- Many proposed projects are speculative and may not be built.
- Developers sometimes use less efficient gas turbines to speed construction.
- Organizations
- Houston Advanced Research CenterWood Mackenzie
From the original article
2 min read at theverge.com
A rush of new data centers could bring air pollution roaring back to levels not seen since the 2000s in Texas, which has become ground zero for the physical infrastructure behind generative AI. New and proposed data centers are demanding a tremendous amount of electricity. How developers and utilities meet that demand - with gas turbines or renewable energy - will determine just how dirty things will get.
By Justine Calma · theverge.com
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