Report forecasts higher air pollutant emissions
The Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), a US nonprofit research organization, released a report on October 20, local time, analyzing the effects of Texas data center expansion on air quality. The report forecasts that if electricity demand from new data centers is met using the currently expected generation mix, Texas nitrogen oxide emissions would rise 136% by 2031, approaching 2004 levels. Nitrogen oxides are substances produced during combustion in vehicle engines and power plants and contribute to smog.
Under the same conditions, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) would reach levels not seen since 2006, while volatile organic compounds would be 32% higher than in 2002. HARC calculated changes in 5 pollutants by combining 3 data center electricity demand forecasts with different power supply scenarios.
Power supply choices affect emissions
The results vary significantly depending on where electricity comes from. If data centers install natural gas generators on site to avoid waiting for grid connections, nitrogen oxide emissions would be approximately 4 times those from grid electricity for facilities of the same size. In this case, nitrogen oxide emissions could increase by nearly 400%. Even in a scenario that adds solar and wind power to grid electricity to offset carbon emissions, nitrogen oxides were calculated to increase 35%. HARC said that even the cleanest mix would produce more pollutants than a scenario without data centers.
According to an analysis by The Texas Tribune, at least 288 data center projects are planned in Texas. HARC found that the electricity Texas data centers could consume over the next 6 years may exceed the electricity added to the grid over the past 20 years. At least 32 natural gas power plants are also planned in Texas, the most of any US state. Texas Governor Greg Abbott temporarily halted grid connections for new data centers until an audit is completed.
Carlos Gamarra, HARC's vice president for energy, air and IT, said, “We need to treat data centers as what they are: industrial facilities.”
Further details are available from HARC.
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Original Korean article: aimatters.co.kr
English brief by Korea Wind Intelligence, koreawindintel.com
