Environment America Calls for US Data Center Development Moratorium

Environment America has urged a moratorium on US data center development, arguing that continued expansion is increasing pressure on power systems, water resources and local communities, while potentially extending reliance on carbon-intensive generation.

The organisation cited a Pew Research Center analysis of Data Center Map data indicating that more than 3,000 data centers are already operating in the United States and that more than 1,500 additional facilities are in various stages of development. It also said that new electricity capacity for all proposed data centers could total 194 GW over the next seven years. That figure refers to potential new power capacity associated with proposed facilities, rather than capacity that has been built or commissioned.

The publication links data center load growth to proposals for new gas-fired generation, life extensions for fossil-fuel plants and the possible restart of Three Mile Island. It states that 15 power plants whose operating lives were extended to meet data center energy demand produced 65 million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent in one year.

For developers, operators and power-sector counterparties, the immediate significance is not a change in binding policy, but a further indication that environmental acceptability and grid availability are becoming constraints alongside AI-driven compute demand. If these arguments gain traction in regulation or local permitting, project sponsors may face greater requirements to substantiate power-supply plans and address grid, water, noise and emissions impacts. That could lengthen development timelines and increase execution risk in some jurisdictions.