Tech· August 18, 2026 at 12:13 a.m.
US Data Centers Projected to Emit Equivalent of 27 Coal Power Plants' Carbon Dioxide
Key takeaways
- The data centers under construction could produce significant amounts of carbon dioxide
- The emissions are equivalent to running 27 coal power plants
- The emissions are also equivalent to adding 24 million gas-powered cars
A new analysis of the 60 largest data centers under construction in the US by Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft reveals that these sites could produce a cumulative 101.5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually once fully operational. This equates to approximately 7% of all 2025 US power-sector emissions, or the equivalent of running 27 coal power plants or adding 24 million more gas-powered cars on the road.
