Datacenters driving US clean energy growth while still threatening climate

As datacenters’ connections to electric grids are held up, big tech is forced to throw money at producing its own power Datacenters are driving unprecedented growth in the US clean energy industry, paradoxically boosting a sector that was sputtering before the artificial intelligence boom even as AI’s rollout creates immense environmental challenges. However, observers caution that while the centers are propelling wind, solar, and other clean energy companies, datacenters remain a climate nightmare. Continue reading...

Tom Perkins · Fri, Jun 19, 2026, 4:00 AM
US news | The Guardian

Datacenters driving US clean energy growth while still threatening climate

As datacenters’ connections to electric grids are held up, big tech is forced to throw money at producing its own power

Datacenters are driving unprecedented growth in the US clean energy industry, paradoxically boosting a sector that was sputtering before the artificial intelligence boom even as AI’s rollout creates immense environmental challenges.

However, observers caution that while the centers are propelling wind, solar, and other clean energy companies, datacenters remain a climate nightmare.

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