Source: WIRED
Google is building major computational infrastructure dependent on natural gas plants that emit millions of tons annually, directly contradicting its net-zero commitments. The infrastructure limits of AI scaling are now visible. Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta are pursuing similar arrangements. The gap is concrete: renewable capacity can't match the 24/7 power demands of large language models and training clusters. Tech companies face a choice between delayed AI deployment and carbon-intensive growth. The immediate risk is regulatory and reputational. The longer-term risk is lock-in: decades of fossil fuel commitments through long-term power contracts.