US data centers could erase 15 years of emissions progress
The gist
An internal Sierra Club analysis projects the US power sector would emit 2.1 billion metric tons of CO2 by 2030 with planned AI projects.
The finding puts AI's electricity demand at the center of the US climate debate.
How it unfolded
- Oct 28, 2026Bloomberg reports the internal Sierra Club analysis finding the fossil-fueled power plant surge for AI data centers is set to undo 15 years of greenhouse gas reductions from US electricity generation.
- Oct 28, 2026The analysis projects the US power sector would emit 2.1 billion metric tons of CO2 by 2030 after factoring in planned AI projects — 618 million tons more than 2025 levels, about a 42% increase.
- Oct 28, 2026The Sierra Club's previous estimates were between a quarter and half of the current projections.