Oct 8, 2026, 8:14 PM

V v good new @earthjustice.org@bsky.brid.gy report on the genuinely nutty numbers behind the data centre fossil fuel boom in the US

This new update shows emissions from off-grid gas plants for data centres are WAY worse than previously estimated

earthjustice.org/feature/data...

Climate & Public Health
▪ Massive scale and impact: The scale of both total
and individual BYOP proposals is massive. As of
August 2026, there are nine proposed gas BYOP
projects that are 4.5 GW or larger. If all are built,
nine of the top 10 largest power plants in the U.S.
would be data center gas BYOP.
Altogether, the current 177 GW of gas proposals
would emit over 400 million metric tons of carbon
dioxide equivalent ( MTCO 2e) annually, increasing
the U.S. power sector’s total emissions by 23% .
Ozone and particulate matter pollution from
these projects could cause an estimated $5 –10B
in monetized health damages each year. 1
▪ Majority gas: Building on prior reports, we
estimate that for current BYOP proposals,
approximately 80% of energy generation will
come from gas.
▪ Inefficient gas technologies with more air
pollution: More than half of disclosed gas BYOP
capacity uses technologies that are less efficient
and more polluting than typical gas power plants.

Majority gas: Building on prior reports, we estimate that for current BYOP proposals, approximately 80% of energy generation will come from gas.

Massive scale and impact: The scale of both total and individual BYOP proposals is massive. As of August 2026, there are nine proposed gas BYOP projects that are 4.5 GW or larger. If all are built, nine of the top 10 largest power plants in the U.S. would be data center gas BYOP.

Altogether, the current 177 GW of gas proposals would emit over 400 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (mtCO2e) annually, increasing the U.S. power sector’s total emissions by 23%. Ozone and particulate matter pollution from these projects could cause an estimated $5–10B in monetized health damages each year.