The establishment of private power plants by American AI companies may exacerbate carbon emissions.

American tech companies are racing to build data centers amid the wave of artificial intelligence, and to this end, they are constructing private gas power plants, a move that could lead to a significant increase in carbon emissions and pollutants. Reports on the 11th indicated that research from American company ClearSky showed that multiple AI firms in the U.S. plan to build around 60 data centers over the next few years, with the total installed power generation capacity expected to reach 97 gigawatts by the early 2030s, roughly equivalent to the total capacity of Mexico. To meet electricity demands, most American AI firms tend to favor "more polluting options," including trailer-mounted generators, turbines originally designed for aircraft and military ships, automotive piston engines, and refurbished industrial turbines. These measures could have a huge impact on the climate. Even under conservative estimates, power plants related to data centers are projected to emit over 200 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 46 million gasoline vehicles. In addition to greenhouse gases, these private power plants may also emit fine particulates associated with various cardiopulmonary diseases, nitrogen oxides that can worsen respiratory illnesses, as well as toxic substances like mercury, formaldehyde, and benzene.