AI datacentres plan on-site power stations on huge scale despite climate risks, research reveals

Research indicates that AI datacentres in the US, UK, and Europe plan to construct large-scale gas power stations to meet energy needs, potentially generating 181GW of capacity. This could lead to annual emissions of 345 million metric tonnes of CO2, comparable to emissions from 72.8 million fossil fuel cars. The report highlights concerns about the long-term reliance on fossil fuels as developers may continue using gas power even after grid connections are established. The UK government has approved temporary gas power stations for datacentres awaiting grid access, raising alarms among climate advocates about the implications for emissions and climate goals.