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AI’s arrival complicates Big Tech climate goals, and some worry it’s locking in more fossil fuels
- Artificial intelligence growth is driving electricity demand for U.S. data centers, which consumed about 4.6% of total U.S. electricity in 2024, a share that could nearly triple by 2028.
- Major tech companies face rising emissions despite clean energy purchases, with Google's emissions jumping nearly 50% and Meta's more than 60% over roughly five years. Companies are now acknowledging they may not be on track to meet 2030 targets.
- President Donald Trump's administration canceled grants and permits for renewable energy projects last year, complicating climate goals. Rich Powell, chief executive officer of the Clean Energy Buyers Association, said his association has been "very, very clear with this Congress and this administration that all technology should be on a level playing field."
- Natural gas accounted for more than 40% of electricity powering U.S. data centers in 2024, according to the International Energy Agency. In Wisconsin and Louisiana, new natural gas plants support Microsoft and Meta data centers while companies invest in solar elsewhere.
- Analysts warn operators may extend emissions timelines, as a 2025 Uptime Institute survey showed a 12% drop in those expecting to meet 2030 goals. Microsoft President Brad Smith describes the effort to remove more carbon than it emits as "a marathon, not a sprint.
16 Articles
16 Articles
AI's arrival complicates Big Tech climate goals
Six years ago, Google was confident that by 2030 it would power all operations with electricity generated from clean sources, including wind and solar power, and remove as much pollution as it produced. Today it calls those goals a “moonshot.” Microsoft says it's still aiming to remove more carbon than it creates by 2030 but now describes the effort as “a marathon, not a sprint.”
AI's arrival complicates Big Tech climate goals, and some worry it's locking in more fossil fuels - The Morning Sun
Six years ago, Google was confident that by 2030 it would power all operations with electricity generated from clean sources, including wind and solar power, and remove as much pollution as it produced. Today it calls those goals a “moonshot.” Microsoft says it's still aiming to remove more carbon than it creates by 2030 but now describes the effort as “a marathon, not a sprint.” The race to deploy artificial intelligence is complicating tech co…
Associated Press News
AI's arrival complicates Big Tech climate goals, and some worry it's locking in more fossil fuels
Tech companies set ambitious climate goals at the start of the decade, promising to slash emissoins that contribute to global warming.
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