米国内のガス火力データセンター11施設について承認された許可証によると、その年間温室効果ガス排出量は1億2,900万トンを超えると推定されており、これは2024年のモロッコの排出量を上回る規模である。WIREDの環境許可書類調査により、OpenAI、Meta、Microsoft、xAIといったAI企業に関連するこれらの施設が、AIの急速な拡大を支えるデータセンターブームにおいて、いかに化石燃料に依存しているかが浮き彫りになった。
WIREDが許可申請書類を調査した結果、米国内のこれら11のデータセンター拠点は合計で年間1億2,900万トン以上の温室効果ガスを排出する可能性があり、モロッコのような一国の排出量をも超えることが明らかになった。許可を審査する当局は、その甚大な環境負荷を強調している。以前の報道でも詳しく報じられた通り、AIインフラのための天然ガス需要の急増は、電力網や再生可能エネルギーの供給能力を上回るエネルギー需要の高騰を反映しており、巨大テック企業のコンピューティングニーズを満たすために高い排出量が固定化される事態を招いている。
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Communities across the United States blocked or delayed at least 75 data center projects worth about 130 billion dollars from January through March 2026. Researchers described the period as the most blocked and delayed on record since tracking began in 2023. The opposition reflects a structural shift in local resistance to such developments.
Nearly half of planned US data centers for this year risk delays or cancellation due to import issues from China, exacerbated by tariffs. Community opposition is fueling moratoriums, with Maine poised to halt new construction until 2027. These hurdles challenge President Trump's push for rapid AI infrastructure buildout.
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Meta has agreed to fund seven new natural gas power plants and extensive energy infrastructure to support its largest data center under construction in Richland Parish, Louisiana. The deal with Entergy Louisiana includes 240 miles of transmission lines and battery storage, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. This follows a non-binding pledge by tech companies to cover power costs for AI data centers.
Activists gathered outside the Microsoft Build conference in San Francisco this week to voice concerns about the environmental impact of AI data centers. They distributed leaflets detailing effects on land, water and power resources. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella addressed community concerns during his keynote address on Tuesday.
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Documents indicate Google plans to operate one of the largest data centers in the United States in southeast Nebraska, powered by a Tenaska natural gas plant that could generate up to 3,000 megawatts. The project, which may incorporate carbon capture technology, hinges on a state bill allowing private power plants to connect to the public grid. Tenaska has secured options on over 2,600 acres for the site.
Residents in rural areas across the United States are opposing new data center projects over concerns about water supplies, energy costs, and farmland loss. In Tazewell County, Illinois, locals successfully blocked a proposed facility after packed council meetings and petitions. The backlash highlights tensions between AI infrastructure growth and agricultural needs.