AI’s hunger for electric power is threatening U.S. climate goals

The explosion of data center development across the United States to serve the artificial intelligence industry is threatening decades of progress cutting greenhouse gas emissions, as utilities lay plans for scores of new gas power plants to meet soaring electricity demand.

The fast rising emissions from electricity use have emerged as one of the most vexing — and unexpected — challenges for world leaders as they negotiate agreements for containing global warming this month at the U.N. Climate Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, called COP29. Even as wind and solar projects are rapidly coming online around the world, experts say energy demand from data centers that are needed for artificial intelligence is growing much faster.