Using diesel generators to power the AI revolution would kill hundreds of Americans a year

Using existing backup generators as regular sources of electricity would emit lots of pollution into American skies and endanger people’s health.

By: Peter Adams, Carnegie Mellon University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: May 6, 2026

Words: 1,218

Last Updated: 2 months, 3 weeks ago

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By Peter Adams, Carnegie Mellon University

With U.S. electricity demand starting to rise quickly and expected to continue rising, largely because of the power needed for data centers that process artificial intelligence, people are looking for almost any potential solution.

And people are warning that the full projected demand may not actually develop, which could make massive investments in power plants unnecessary, raising Americans’ electricity rates even more.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright …

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