Burning Tweets: Smart AI, Dirty Power

In Memphis, Tennessee, Elon Musk’s xAI has become one of Shelby County’s largest emitters of nitrogen oxides in Shelby County. None of the 35 methane gas turbines powering xAI’s massive supercomputer are equipped with pollution controls typically required by federal regulations, and the company lacks Clean Air Act permits. xAI’s main product is Grok, and to meet the immense energy demands of its data processing center that are far beyond what local utilities can currently supply, the company has relied on turbines capable of producing enough power for 280,000 homes. 

Photo credit: AFP File Photo

By the end of 2025, AI systems could account for nearly 49% of total data center power usage, with energy demand projected to reach 23 gigawatts (GW), nearly double the entire electricity consumption of the Netherlands. 

Natural gas plants have become the default option for powering data centers because their construction, costs, scalability, and approval processes are well understood. In the U.S., natural gas is abundant and cheap, it became the main fuel for U.S. electricity generation in 2016 and accounts for around 40% of U.S. electricity generation. Natural gas contributed to global warming before it was ever burnt. Methane, which is 34 times stronger than CO2 at trapping heat over a 100-year period, leaks during the drilling from wells and transporting through pipelines. During combustion, nitrogen oxides, key contributors to smog along with trace amounts of sulfur, mercury, and particulate matter, are emitted, which degrades air quality and can lead to adverse health outcomes. 

In Canada, Bell just announced its plan to open six AI data centers in BC, two of them were planned to open up this year, one in Kamloops and another in Merritt. Telus is also investing more than more than $70 billion CAD over the next five years, with plans of launching two new AI data centers.