The Environmental Protection Agency under Administrator Lee Zeldin has drafted a plan to eliminate all limits on greenhouse gas emissions from coal and gas-fired power plants, according to internal agency documents obtained by The New York Times.
In the proposed regulation, the EPA argues that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from fossil fuel power plants "do not contribute significantly to dangerous pollution" or climate change because they represent a small and declining share of global emissions. The agency further claims that eliminating these emissions would have no meaningful effect on public health and welfare.
This regulatory rollback comes at a particularly consequential moment as artificial intelligence technology drives unprecedented growth in electricity consumption. AI data centers require massive amounts of power—with a single facility consuming as much energy as a medium-sized city—and their demand is growing faster than both grid capacity and renewable energy expansion.
"The AI boom has taken off at an awkward time for the fight against climate change because global temperatures are already rising much faster than scientists expected," explains Kenza Bryan, climate reporter for The Financial Times. "AI data centers are massively contributing to the continued rise in power demand, which itself contributes to the continued rise in global emissions."
The International Energy Agency estimates that global electricity demand from data centers could double between 2022 and 2026, fueled significantly by AI adoption. According to Goldman Sachs, power demand from data centers will increase 50% by 2027, potentially rising as much as 165% by the end of the decade compared to 2023 levels.
Environmental advocates argue the EPA's plan contradicts scientific consensus. Julie McNamara of the Union of Concerned Scientists stated there is no "meaningful path" to reducing greenhouse gas emissions without federal limits. "The Trump administration may attempt to illegally, impossibly, reprehensibly deny reality, but the record for climate action is long and the case for climate action is unequivocal," she said.