Across the U.S., tech companies have courted backlash for using polluting gas generators to power massive new data centers.
Across the U.S., tech companies have courted backlash for using polluting gas generators to power massive new data centers. But energy industry data shows that in addition to building out natural gas, firms are adding huge amounts of battery storage.
The energy demands of data centers are so great that large projects may need approval from regulators before connecting to the power grid. But instead of waiting for that approval, tech companies keen to build the infrastructure for A.I. are often building gas generators on site. By one estimate, more than 100 gigawatts of onsite gas power, the rough equivalent of 100 large gas power plants, is planned for data centers across the U.S.
To take full advantage of those gas generators, some companies are installing large lithium-ion batteries alongside, according to a new report from the Solar Energy Industries Association and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. Batteries are also being employed in tandem with renewable energy.
Read more at: Yale Environment 360
Batteries power a data center near Reno, Nevada. (Photo Credit: Redwood Materials)
