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37 stories taggedenergy · page 2 of 3.
Why Everyone Suddenly Has Strong Opinions About Data Centres
Those giant warehouse buildings humming away on the edge of town power all the AI tools you use daily. Now they're sparking political fights from both sides. Here's what's going on.
A $500 Billion AI Datacenter Is Being Built in Rural Ohio. Not Everyone Is Happy About It.
OpenAI, Nvidia and Japanese investors are pouring half a trillion dollars into what could be the world's largest AI computing facility, tucked into the Appalachian foothills near Piketon, Ohio. The jobs sound good. The questions about land, water and power are harder.
Australia's PM Tries to Calm State Leaders Over National AI Datacentre Law
Anthony Albanese heads into a national cabinet meeting promising that new federal controls on datacentres will work alongside state rules, not override them. Behind the scenes: power bills, planning fights, and a seven-fold rise in electricity demand.
AI will do more to grow fossil fuel output than clean energy, new study warns
Researchers modelled 64 scenarios and found AI's productivity gains for oil, gas and coal outpace its renewable benefits, adding up to 1.8 gigatonnes of extra carbon pollution a year.
A US Lawmaker Wants Communities to Have the Right to Reject AI Data Centers
Representative Ro Khanna is pushing a 'Data Center Bill of Rights' that would let neighborhoods block new facilities over electricity costs, water use and proximity to homes.
Amazon's New Texas Power Plant Could Emit More CO2 Than Any Coal Plant in America
A gas plant built to power Amazon's West Texas data center holds a pollution permit larger than any coal facility in the US. The company says its climate commitment stands, but its own emissions have risen for years.
The Power Grid Is Struggling. A New AI Course Wants to Train the Engineers Who Can Fix It
America's electrical grid was built for steadier times. Now AI tools are being drafted to keep the lights on, and a new online programme is teaching engineers how to use them.
America Has a Data Center Problem, and AI Made It Worse
From MAGA rallies to environmental protests, ordinary Americans are furious about the AI infrastructure being built in their backyards. Here is why it happened.
A top House Democrat is demanding a tour of SpaceX's AI data centers in Memphis
Rep. Frank Pallone says the facilities are running gas turbines without proper permits, polluting the air, and shifting energy costs onto ordinary residents. He wants answers by August 11.
SpaceX Plans to Remove xAI's Illegal Turbines, But Not Until Mid-2027
The company running Elon Musk's AI data centers near Memphis says it will tear out 69 unpermitted gas turbines, replacing them with a permanent power plant. Nearby residents, already living in one of the most polluted regions in the US, will wait at least two more years for that to happen.
BP Puts North Sea Business Up for Sale as Middle East Crisis Squeezes Oil Markets
BP is seeking a buyer for its North Sea operations after Iran closed a critical shipping lane, sending oil prices sharply higher and forcing the company to rethink where it deploys capital.
Robots That Can Cook, Glasses That Creep, and the Emissions Bill Nobody Wants to Talk About
A roundup of the AI stories that made headlines for the wrong reasons, plus the one group that genuinely came out ahead.
One downed power line flickered lights from Virginia to Chicago. AI data centers caused it.
When a single transmission line failed near Washington, DC, more than 3 gigawatts of data center power vanished in seconds. The grid took 11 minutes to recover. It's a warning of what comes next as AI demand keeps climbing.
British Gas owner says customers prefer chatbots as it cuts 1,300 call centre jobs
Centrica is axing 1,300 staff, with the boss claiming most people would rather deal with an AI chatbot than a human agent. Workers and unions see things differently.
OpenAI plans to spend $750 billion on infrastructure by 2030, starting with a massive Georgia data centre
The company's first move is a 1,400-acre campus near Savannah that will draw enough electricity to power a small city, mostly from new natural gas plants.