There are more than 3,000 new data centers either proposed or already under construction across the United States. According to a new report from Wired, just 11 data centers, all of which are powered by gas power plants and generators, could emit more than 129 million tons of greenhouse gases per year—more than the entire nation of Morocco. So, what would 300 Moroccos do to the planet?
According to Wired, much of the energy projected to be generated for the data center projects it reviewed will be behind-the-meter power, or plants that only provide power to the data center and bypass the broader grid. Those dedicated power stations have become a popular option for the rapidly expanding data centers due to the strain on the general grid and the disdain the public has when Big Tech comes to town and jacks up their energy bills. Trump recently signed an executive order encouraging companies to pay for their own infrastructure instead of hooking into the grid (though there’s nothing really binding about it).
Those factors have led to more power plants getting built alongside data centers—but those plants are often leaning on dirty-burning fuel sources because they are quick to build and scale. Per Wired, it’s leading to a renaissance for gas (derogatory). It found that data center projects from major companies could generate significant emissions. That includes 11.5 million tons of greenhouse gases per year from a single Microsoft project in Texas, and the Stargate project across Texas and New Mexico that is set to emit more than 24 million tons of CO2 every year.
The caveat, to the extent there is one, is that the emissions figures focus on what the companies have been permitted to emit, not necessarily what they are emitting. But data centers are more likely than other projects to push toward the upper limits of what they are allowed as demand grows. And that’s assuming these companies comply with the caps they’ve been given. Elon Musk’s xAI notably relied on methane gas turbines at its Tennessee-based Colossus data center despite having no permits for them.
It’s clear that gas demand and consumption are climbing. The US Energy Information Administration recently reported that 2025 set a new record for natural gas consumption, and Global Energy Monitor reported that the US has surpassed China as the biggest developer of new gas projects. Much of that seems to be driven by the massive data center buildout currently underway, despite the objections of communities across the country who don’t want these projects near their neighborhoods. But it’s at least a little ironic that the same companies that have pledged to achieve zero carbon emissions are now asking to pump more into the air than ever.
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