Meta faces Democratic probe into plans to power a giant data center with gas

Meta’s Building is a very new AI data center in Louisiana that its local facilities company plans to build three gas power plants to provide them with adequate electricity. Now, defenders and legislators press Meta to get answers on how to clean the pollution caused by energy consumption in the data center.

senator Shieldon Whitch, a member of the Senate Committee of the Environment and Public Works, photographed a letter to the CEO of Meta Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday calling for answers about the amount of energy that the data center and greenhouse gas emissions that will be generated. The letter says that the operation of the new data center with the gas “flying in the face of climate obligations in Meta.”

Technology companies accelerate the creation of data centers to train and operate new AI tools, which increases the demand for electricity. In this case, Power Utility Entergy wants to meet this request with the new gas infrastructure, raising concerns about the impact of influential data data on the environment and local residents.

Senator Whitech said in a statement via e -mail: freedom.

In 2020, Meta pledged to reach net zero emissions through its operations, supply chain and consumer use of its products by the end of the contract. But the company’s carbon fingerprint is now larger than it was when this goal was set, according to the recent sustainability report, as it doubled artificial intelligence.

The company tried to reduce its emissions by matching the use of electricity with equal purchases for renewable energy. It is the Meta strategy and other major companies that it often takes: Payment to support new clean energy projects to try to cancel the environmental impacts of your facilities that have reached a power network that works on dirty energy. Environmental defenders are increasingly anxious that this strategy still flourishes societies with local pollution, and that pressure to meet the increasing demand for electricity from artificial intelligence enhances the use of fossil fuels instead of renewable energy.

We see Tussle playing in the Rachelland diocese, Louisiana, where Meta plans to create the largest data center so far. In December, the company announced that it will spend $ 10 billion on the project. Once finished, the campus spanned 4 million square feet, with about 70 football fields. But the project is the subject of discussion unless Meta is able to make sure that there are enough electricity available to all of these servers, a problem that works with Entergy to solve it. Entergy suggested building three completely new gas factories with a total capacity of 2,260 MW to support the data center, but you must get organizational approval first.

Some defenders claim that there was not enough transparency about the Meta Data Center plans to help the public understand the potential impact on the local energy network. The New Orleans residing coalition for energy at reasonable prices and the relevant union of scientists in March requests the Public Service Committee in Louisiana to add Meta as an official party to procedures on whether the construction of the new gas factories will be approved. This would forcing the company to unveil more information, and the committee is scheduled to consider the proposal on Monday.

“It is difficult to wrap your mind [whether] Logan Burke, CEO of the Alliance for Energy at reasonable prices, says that the attachment like this may either be good for your community or bad for your community without understanding the potential impact on your electrical system, bills and water.

There are already expectations that the demand for electricity at the growing data center quickly can raise electricity bills in the United States. Mita said in December that it would contribute a million dollars annually to the Enverjy program that helps older adults and persons with disabilities to withstand their bills. Data centers were also famous from the respondents, although Mita says she will invest in projects to restore more water than she consumes.

Meanwhile, the Senator Whitch Meta’s Senator requests answering a list of questions by May 28. In addition to questions about the use of electricity in the data center and greenhouse gas emissions, Whitehouse wants to know what justification is to build gas power plants instead of renewable energy alternatives. Meta is pressing to explain how the proposal is in line with its climate goal for 2030.

Meta confirms that it will continue to match its electrical use with the support of renewable energy, including the commitment to help funding 1500 megawatts of new solar and battery resources in Louisiana. It also mentioned that it will help financing the cost of adding technology to at least one power plant that would acquire carbon dioxide emissions. Whitehouse wants to know the amount of funding it will provide and how much carbon will be captured. Carbon capture technology has been expensive to publish and the costs are often compensated with carbon dioxide that was captured to produce more fossil fuels through a process called the improvement of optical oil.

“We have received the message and we look forward to providing a response.” freedom. “We believe that a variety of energy solutions are essential to operate our artificial aspirations of our artificial intelligence – and we continue to explore innovative technology solutions.”

Entergy did not immediately respond to inquiries from freedom. It is with the aim of making sure that 50 percent of its ability to generate it is free of carbon pollution by 2030. But the utility said that the gas “is the lowest reasonable cost option available that can support electrical requirements over 24/7 of a large data center such as the definition” in a statement to Fast companyWhich was first reported about the message of Whitheus.