Counties with Plans to Build Heaviest polluting data centers

As artificial intelligence continues to proliferate in the workplace and everyday life, tech companies are racing to scale up AI infrastructure. AI technology is powered by data centers, massive facilities that use up to 50 times more energy per square foot than the average commercial building, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Because they are so resource intensive, the data center construction boom could place undue strain on the nation’s power grid. In response, President Trump has encouraged tech companies to build their own power plants on site. 

But while purpose-built, off-grid data center power plants may help avoid a national energy crunch, they are simultaneously exacerbating the climate change crisis. Currently, there are dozens of data centers going up across the country that will run on new, natural gas-fired power plants. Over the course of a year, these facilities can have a carbon footprint equivalent to millions of additional vehicles on the road. Additionally, offsetting the carbon emissions of some of the largest of these new power plants would require tens of millions of acres of forest land, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Using data from the Environmental Integrity Project, Climate Crisis 247 identified the heaviest polluting data center power plants slated to come online in the coming years. We ranked all new power plant proposals on their potential annual greenhouse gas emissions. Supplemental data on forest land required to offset emissions and carbon footprint equivalents are from the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator. Tech companies affiliated with each data center power plant are from media reports. All power plants on this list are primarily fueled by natural gas. 

 10. Dove Creek Technology Campus Power Plant in Tom Green County, TX

• Estimated carbon footprint: 9.8 million tons of greenhouse gasses annually 
• Carbon footprint equivalent: approx. 2.1 million additional cars on the road
• Greenspace required to offset plant emissions: approx. 8.9 million acres of forest 
• Tech company expected to use data center power plant: TBD
• Year of anticipated operation: 2028

 9. YGI Microgrid in Dona Ana County, NM

• Estimated carbon footprint: 10.1 million tons of greenhouse gasses annually 
• Carbon footprint equivalent: approx. 2.1 million additional cars on the road
• Greenspace required to offset plant emissions: approx. 9.2 million acres of forest 
• Tech company expected to use data center power plant: Oracle, OpenAI
• Year of anticipated operation: 2026

 8. BFC Power and Cheyenne Power Hub in Laramie County, WY

• Estimated carbon footprint: 10.4 million tons of greenhouse gasses annually 
• Carbon footprint equivalent: approx. 2.2 million additional cars on the road
• Greenspace required to offset plant emissions: approx. 9.5 million acres of forest 
• Tech company expected to use data center power plant: Google
• Year of anticipated operation: 2027

 7. VoltaGrid ABI-1 Electric Generating Station in Shackleford County, TX

• Estimated carbon footprint: 10.6 million tons of greenhouse gasses annually 
• Carbon footprint equivalent: approx. 2.2 million additional cars on the road
• Greenspace required to offset plant emissions: approx. 9.7 million acres of forest 
• Tech company expected to use data center power plant: TBD
• Year of anticipated operation: 2026

 6. Monarch Compute Campus Power Plant in Mason County, WV

• Estimated carbon footprint: 11.1 million tons of greenhouse gasses annually 
• Carbon footprint equivalent: approx. 2.3 million additional cars on the road
• Greenspace required to offset plant emissions: approx. 10.1 million acres of forest 
• Tech company expected to use data center power plant: Microsoft
• Year of anticipated operation: 2027

 5. Kilby Power Plant in Reeves County, TX

• Estimated carbon footprint: 13.9 million tons of greenhouse gasses annually 
• Carbon footprint equivalent: approx. 2.9 million additional cars on the road
• Greenspace required to offset plant emissions: approx. 12.6 million acres of forest 
• Tech company expected to use data center power plant: Microsoft
• Year of anticipated operation: 2028

 4. Homer City Generating Station in Indiana County, PA

• Estimated carbon footprint: 17.6 million tons of greenhouse gasses annually 
• Carbon footprint equivalent: approx. 3.7 million additional cars on the road
• Greenspace required to offset plant emissions: approx. 16.0 million acres of forest 
• Tech company expected to use data center power plant: Amazon (in active negotiation)
• Year of anticipated operation: 2029

 3. Nexus Data Center Hubbard Power Plant in Hill County, TX

• Estimated carbon footprint: 22.7 million tons of greenhouse gasses annually 
• Carbon footprint equivalent: approx. 4.8 million additional cars on the road
• Greenspace required to offset plant emissions: approx. 20.7 million acres of forest 
• Tech company expected to use data center power plant: Anthropic
• Year of anticipated operation: 2027

 2. GW Ranch Energy Center in Pecos County, TX

• Estimated carbon footprint: 33.2 million tons of greenhouse gasses annually 
• Carbon footprint equivalent: approx. 7.0 million additional cars on the road
• Greenspace required to offset plant emissions: approx. 30.2 million acres of forest 
• Tech company expected to use data center power plant: Amazon
• Year of anticipated operation: 2027

 1. Fermi America Project Matador in Carson County, TX

• Estimated carbon footprint: 40.3 million tons of greenhouse gasses annually 
• Carbon footprint equivalent: approx. 8.5 million additional cars on the road
• Greenspace required to offset plant emissions: approx. 36.7 million acres of forest 
• Tech company expected to use data center power plant: TBD
• Year of anticipated operation: 2026