As the energy demand of artificial intelligence increases, renewable energy allies are working to ensure that massive data centers are powered by climate-friendly sources. Lawmakers in states with stronger climate policies are pushing for data centers to meet renewable energy benchmarks.

State-Level Initiatives

In New York, legislation would require data centers over a certain size to meet renewable energy benchmarks starting in 2030 and get at least 90% of their energy from renewable energies by 2040. Other states, including Michigan, Oregon, and Minnesota, have enacted laws to protect their pre-existing requirements for electric utilities to use only emissions-free energy sources by 2040.

Google and other tech giants are investing in zero-emissions projects, such as solar and wind power, to reduce their carbon footprint. However, the construction of these projects cannot keep up with the rapid growth of data centers, leading to an increase in natural gas-fired power plants.

Regulatory Efforts

Regulators are greenlighting renewable energy projects, and utilities are working to expand access to the grid. The Corporate Energy Buyers Association has hammered out agreements with utilities to allow companies to build clean energy sources and connect them to the grid.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.