US fossil fuel infrastructure rebounds as data centres drive power demand
What happened
A report published on 20 October 2026 by the Environmental Defense Fund and the research group Atlas Public Policy shows that fossil fuel infrastructure under construction in the US has reached its highest level in a decade. The share of new fossil fuel capacity rose from 5% in 2024 to 30% in the second quarter of 2026, the largest rebound in ten years, the report says. Coverage links the shift to power demand driven up by data centres. Developments so far centre on the figures disclosed in the report, with no response from other parties or follow-up measures reported.
Written by AI from the reports · updated 1 h ago
Timeline
Follow the reports to see the event from each side.
- The Verge · AIThe fossil fuel comeback is here
The US is building more fossil fuel infrastructure than it has in a decade while renewable energy growth slows down, a new report shows. Electricity demand is also climbing faster than it has in more than a decade with more data centers, factories, and electric vehicles plugging into the grid.
Heat of this event
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