Findings and Future Considerations: Research on AI and Data Centers

Artificial Intelligence and data centers have been at the forefront of conversations, media cycles, local council discussions, Climate Ambassador community calls, and day-to-day meetings, especially here at ecoAmerica.

We saw widespread interest in this topic at the ecoAmerica Climate Ambassador Community Call on June 11th, where we hosted a comprehensive presentation with Emma Uridge, M.P.H, an analyst at the Kansas Health Institute on the science and impacts of data centers, and Clayton Summers, a Climate Ambassador involved in advocacy efforts on data centers in his rural community. What we took away from that conversation were tangible questions and concerns from our Climate Ambassadors on how these data centers could affect their local communities. They also expressed a desire to learn how they can adequately speak about it with the purpose of informing others and fulfilling their role as a trusted Climate Ambassador.

In response to that call, I led a research effort with the goal of creating a resource on AI and data centers that would be informative, accessible, and unbiasedly accurate. It is important to us at ecoAmerica to equip our Climate Ambassadors with information on climate issues in a way that allows them to feel comfortable enough to speak about it. The result was a multitude of pages of research findings that I condensed into 4 new pages added to our Navigating Conversations for Change FAQ Guide, sharing answers to the most frequently asked questions on AI & Data Centers and recommendations for Ambassadors to take action.

Prior to our research, we all had preconceived notions on the science and impacts of AI & data centers. For example, one of the most important questions that we were interested in was how much energy and water was being directly consumed by these data centers, and more specifically, how much of that consumption can be directly linked to AI? Among other important findings, we found that direct AI energy consumption¹ (75,000 GWh²) could have powered 7.5 million American homes in 2024.³

Another pressing question we wanted to address for our ambassadors was to pinpoint the direct environmental, health, and financial impacts from AI and Data Centers. Our research shows that wholesale electricity prices have increased by 3-5% nationwide⁴ and are projected to increase to 8% by 2030⁵; certain areas with a higher concentration of data centers show even higher levels of increase. When it comes to emissions, the most surprising finding was that data centers emit a negligible amount of carbon dioxide. However, we can link the CO₂ emitted from generating the electricity that is used by these data centers – this turned out to be 61 megatons (Mt) of CO2 in 2023.⁶ As for health impacts, we found a plethora of consequences associated with data centers ranging from cardiovascular disease, reduced lung function, heat-related illnesses, elevated cancer risk, and mental health impacts.⁷ Not to mention the fact that these are disproportionately affecting higher populations of minority and marginalized residents. All of these collective impacts affect hundreds of thousands of Americans and when our Climate Ambassadors are able to understand the facts, they become better equipped to use this information in their conversations.

When used to the fullest extent, those conversations can lead to clear progress. Finally, our ultimate goal was to provide them with actionable steps they can take. In The Way Forward section, we provide recommendations for community benefit agreements, moratoriums, and advocating for renewable energy. We mention tools like Cleanview and TrackPolicy to track these data centers and any legislation associated with them. We also recommend ways to get involved with your local, state, and federal representatives and how to keep the future data center process transparent and equitable. 

If you would like to see the full Navigating Conversations for Change FAQ Guide with the new AI & Data Centers section, take the ecoAmerica Climate Ambassador Training and begin your journey as a Climate Ambassador! You will get access to the FAQ Guide upon completion. 

This is purely the beginning of AI & data centers. We wanted to create a foundation of knowledge regarding this new chapter in scientific development, and provide the information necessary to our network of Climate Ambassadors. What we choose to do with this knowledge remains to be seen; but we can only hope that it is used to affect responsible development and positive change.

Bibliography

1. Smith, Sarah, Alexander Hubbard, et al. “United States Data Center Energy Usage Report: 2025 Update.” Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 2026.
   dx.doi.org/10.71468/P1RP4F
2. IEA, “Energy and AI.” 2026.
   www.iea.org/reports/energy-and-ai
3. EIA, “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): How much electricity does an American home use?” Last modified January 8th, 2024.
   www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=97&t=3
4. Kay, Owen, Robert Reaser, and Reid Taylor. “Processing Power: The Effect of Data Centers on Wholesale Electricity Markets.” Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. 2026.
   doi.org/10.24149/wp2606
5. Warren, Elizabeth. “Letters to Data Center Companies re. Utility Costs.” United States Senate. 2026.
   www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-warren-lawmakers-open-investigation-into-big-tech-data-centers-role-in-driving-up-families-utility-costs/
6. Shehabi, Arman, Alex Newkirk, Sarah Smith, et al. “2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report.” Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 2024.
   dx.doi.org/10.71468/P1WC7Q
7. DeJarnett, Natasha, Micah Nishigaki, and Francesca Dominci. “Data Centers and Health: Understanding the Impacts and Taking Action – Part 1: What are the health and equity impacts of data centers?” Physicians for Social Responsibility. 2026.
   psr.org/resources/data-centers-and-health/

About the Author:
Eric Márquez Martínez, ecoAmerica Program Manager