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

Research by BloombergNEF finds that planned AI datacentres in the US and Europe could build 181GW of on-site gas-fired power because of delays connecting to national grids. The scale matters for climate targets: if the plans go ahead, the plants could create substantial emissions and make it harder to shift growing electricity demand towards cleaner sources.

About 90% of the proposed capacity is in the US, where it could emit an estimated 345 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent each year, comparable to the annual emissions of 72.8 million petrol and diesel cars. AI datacentre electricity use is forecast to reach 2,354 terawatt-hours by 2035, or 7% of global demand. In the UK, planned sites made more than 100 gas connection enquiries in 2024–25; researchers warn that plants described as temporary could remain in use after grid connections arrive.