Data centers could erase decades of air quality gains in Texas
A new report from the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) warns that a surge of data‑center construction in Texas could reverse years of air‑quality improvements. The state already hosts 26 GW of existing and under‑construction data‑center capacity, the highest in the U.S., and developers are proposing four times more on‑site power projects than any other state, according to a Wood Mackenzie…
Key points
- Texas hosts 26 GW of existing and under‑construction data‑center capacity, the nation’s highest.
- HARC models predict fine‑particle pollution could more than triple, NOx up 136 %, CO₂ up 90 % in five years.
- On‑site renewable power could cut NOx emissions up to tenfold; gas turbines would push pollution to its worst levels.
If all planned facilities connect to the grid and draw power from the projected mix, HARC’s modeling shows fine‑particle pollution could more than triple – reaching its highest level since 2006 – while NOx emissions would rise 136 % and carbon‑dioxide levels climb 90 % above 2025 figures. The analysis notes that outcomes depend on how developers meet electricity demand: on‑site solar or wind could cut NOx emissions up to tenfold, whereas building gas turbines would push pollutants to their worst possible levels. “There is a good chance that our children and grandchildren will breathe dirtier air than we did,” HARC CEO John Hall said in a press release.
Data centers could erase decades of air quality gains
The Verge AI · 21 October 2026
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