tech
Datacenters driving US clean energy growth while still threatening climate
As datacenters’ connections to electric grids are held up, big tech is forced to throw money at producing its own power
TL;DR
- Datacenters are driving unprecedented growth in the US clean energy industry, especially wind and solar.
- Despite boosting clean energy, datacenters are considered a climate nightmare, leading utilities to build new fossil-fuel plants.
- Delays in connecting datacenters to the electric grid are forcing tech companies to produce their own power through renewables, battery storage, and fuel cells.
- The clean energy industry experienced a boom in 2020 but faltered due to inflation and policy changes, only to spike again with datacenter demand.
- Companies like Nextpower and Google are investing in and developing large-scale solar, battery storage, and integrated renewable solutions for datacenters.
- Bloom Energy's fuel cell systems are attracting datacenter owners due to their rapid deployment, though they still emit carbon dioxide.
- While the trend benefits some clean energy segments like batteries and utility-scale solar, it has little direct benefit for home rooftop solar.
- Tech companies are primarily motivated by a desperate need for electricity rather than a benevolent desire to combat climate change.