AI Companies Drive 82 Gas Plant Projects for Data Centers as Trump Speeds Buildout
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 6
AI Companies Drive 82 Gas Plant Projects for Data Centers as Trump Speeds Buildout
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 6
Summary
At least 82 gas-burning power plants are being built or proposed nationwide to supply data centers, a surge tied to the administration’s push for faster A.I. expansion.
Trump has urged tech companies to secure their own power rather than wait years for grid connections, including a March nonbinding pledge signed by Google, Microsoft and OpenAI.
That strategy has not eased consumer pressure: the largest U.S. grid operator said last month data centers would add billions of dollars in charges over the next three years.
Political backlash is widening as energy prices stay high and polling shows more than half of Americans support a national data-center ban, with nearly four in five worried about higher electricity bills.