Texas data centers threaten to reverse air quality progress

A report by the Houston Advanced Research Center warns that the rapid expansion of the data center industry in Texas could reverse decades of progress in air quality improvement. Between 2002 and 2024, Texas significantly reduced major air pollutants despite population and economic growth, but the projected build-out of at least 288 data center projects threatens this trend.

The environmental impact depends heavily on power sources. Under a scenario where facilities utilize traditional on-site natural gas, nitrogen oxide emissions could increase by nearly 400% by 2031. Even under a cleaner “net zero” scenario involving wind and solar, emissions could still rise by 35%.