Map Shows Texas Data Center Boom as Pollution Warning Issued
Soaring electricity demand from Texas data centers could push air pollution higher, depending on how they are powered.
A recent study by the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) warns that Texas's rapidly growing data center industry could jeopardize decades of progress in reducing air pollution. The research examined the massive electricity needs of AI-driven data centers and modeled the potential impacts on emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur dioxide, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon dioxide through 2031.
The findings depend heavily on how the additional electricity is generated. HARC discovered that if all the new data center demand were met solely by the Texas electricity grid using its projected mix of energy sources, NOx emissions in 2031 would be 136% higher than under a scenario with no data centers. VOC emissions would be 32% higher than 2002 levels, and PM2.5 emissions would approach their 2006 levels.
The source of power makes a significant difference. Burning fuel to generate the extra power needed for data centers could result in NOx emissions being two to ten times higher compared to a grid-supplied scenario. Even in the cleanest energy scenario studied, data center growth would still increase emissions due to the enormous amount of additional electricity required.
The scale of potential data center development is illustrated by figures from Texas' electric-grid operator, Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). In August, Governor Greg Abbott's office reported that ERCOT was considering over 474 gigawatts of grid interconnection requests, with about 90% coming from data centers. Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to halt permits for data centers pending the completion of ERCOT's audit of projects, citing concerns about grid reliability and natural resources.
HARC concluded that Texas's future emissions will depend on decisions now being made about power supply. The projected data center build-out could either produce relatively marginal increases in emissions or reverse much of the progress made over the past two decades in reducing air pollution.
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