Data Centers’ Climate Costs Remain Unclear, Studies Find

WHO:

TechRadar - Experts warned about the climate effects of expanding data centers across the United States.

Phys.org - Researchers analyzed whether hyperscale data centers heat surrounding land.

WHAT:

TechRadar - Building new data centers across the United States could wipe out the last 15 years of greenhouse gas progress.

TechRadar - U.S. data center expansion could increase emissions as gas turbines meet rising demand and renewable generation struggles to keep pace.

Phys.org - A study published in *Environmental Research Letters* found little evidence that hyperscale data centers cause significant heating of surrounding land.

Phys.org - A previous study suggested data centers heat surrounding land by an average of about 2 °C, with effects reaching as high as 9 °C.

Phys.org - The previous study reported that warming could extend 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from data centers.

Phys.org - Analysis of 13 years of satellite data found that server waste heat causes minimal nighttime surface warming.

Phys.org - The satellite analysis found that building materials cool ground temperatures during the day.

WHERE:

TechRadar - The data center expansion discussed is across the United States.

Phys.org - The study examined land surrounding hyperscale data centers.

WHEN:

Phys.org - The satellite analysis covered 13 years of data.

WHY:

TechRadar - Rising demand and renewable generation’s difficulty keeping pace may lead to increased emissions as gas turbines supply power.

HOW:

TechRadar - Gas turbines meet rising data center power demand while renewable generation struggles to keep pace.

Phys.org - Researchers used satellite data to assess nighttime surface warming from server waste heat and daytime ground-temperature effects from building materials.

(UPDATED November 4, 2026 23:04 UTC)

U.S. data center growth could erase 15 years of greenhouse gas progress as gas turbines meet demand. Yet satellite research found little nighttime warming around hyperscale centers. Building materials even cool nearby ground during daylight.