Data centers drive fossil fuel pollution and health costs

The article argues that U.S. data center growth is driving fossil-fuel use, air pollution, and public health harms, while highlighting policy proposals and clean-energy alternatives.

• More than 5,500 U.S. data centers already exist, with thousands more under construction or in planning; the article says developers are planning or constructing more than 90 GW of on-site, off-grid natural-gas power plants to avoid grid interconnection queues.
• It cites estimated health damages of $53–99 million per year from permitted PM2.5 emissions at a Loudoun County, Virginia facility, $6 billion in annual U.S. health costs in 2023 from fossil-fuel plants powering data centers, and a projection of $20 billion annually by 2028; it also notes proposed congressional bills and mentions solar, battery storage, and microgrids as solutions.