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The Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) released a report on October 22, 2026, analyzing the air quality impacts of data center expansion in Texas. The report modeled three electricity demand forecasts, projecting that under a scenario in which all planned projects are connected to the grid, fine particulate pollution could rise to more than three times current levels, reaching the highest level since 2006, with nitrogen oxide emissions rising 136% and carbon dioxide emissions increasing 90% compared with 2025. The report noted that if data centers use grid power paired with on-site renewable energy, nitrogen oxide emissions could be up to about 90% lower than a scenario relying entirely on combustion-based generation; if natural gas engines or gas turbines are deployed within the campus to bypass grid interconnection queues, emissions would increase further. The report also mentioned that existing and under-construction data center capacity in Texas totals about 26 gigawatts, and recommended that data centers be included in emissions standards as industrial facilities and be required to disclose electricity consumption, power sources, and emissions data.
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Oct 22
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HARC Report: Surge in Texas AI Data Centers Could Set Air Pollution Back by Decades
The Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) released a report analyzing the impact of data center expansion in Texas on air quality. It predicts that under the scenario where all planned projects are connected to the grid, fine particulate pollution could rise to more than three times current levels, reaching the highest level since 2006, nitrogen oxide emissions would increase by 136%, and carbon dioxide emissions would rise by 90% compared with 2025. The report, based on modeling of three electricity demand forecasts, points out that if data centers use grid power supplemented by on-site renewable energy, nitrogen oxide emissions could be up to about 90% lower than a scenario relying entirely on combustion-based power generation; if natural gas engines or gas turbines are deployed within the campus to bypass grid interconnection waiting times, emissions would increase further. Existing and under-construction data center capacity in Texas totals about 26 gigawatts. The report recommends that data centers be included in emissions standards as industrial facilities and that they be required to disclose electricity consumption, power supply sources, and emissions data.