On this edition of Your Call's One Planet Series, we find out how the growing energy demand of AI data centers could increase fossil fuel emissions in California. The state has nearly 300 data centers, many of which require around-the-clock power to run AI models like ChatGPT.
According to Capital and Main, surging electricity demand from data centers across the US is outpacing the supply of new clean energy sources, helping to sustain the fossil fuel industry. It’s a dynamic at play in California, where renewable energy is limited and expensive, while power from existing natural gas plants is available and cheap.
A study by the California Institute of Technology and UC Riverside found that pollution from the nation’s data centers in 2023 was responsible for an estimated $6 billion in costs for public health harm, ranging from asthma to premature death. At the current rate of data center expansion, these costs are estimated to reach up to $20 billion by 2030, rivaling the health damage from having 30 million cars on California roads.
Guest:
Aaron Cantu, award-winning investigative journalist covering gas and oil in California for Capital & Main
Resources:
Capital & Main: The Insatiable Energy Demands of Data Centers Could Increase Fossil Fuel Emissions in California
Fast Company: Air pollution from AI could surpass that of all the cars in California
San Francisco Chronicle: There goes the neighborhood: AI data centers are moving in
