The race to build the infrastructure needed to support artificial intelligence is accelerating across the United States, with a new investigation suggesting that many of the power plants fueling that boom are being approved with little scrutiny.
An investigation published by Reuters found that dozens of large natural gas power plants designed exclusively for data centers are moving through permitting processes at unprecedented speed, often avoiding the lengthy environmental reviews and public hearings traditionally associated with major energy projects.
The facilities are part of a growing trend toward "off-grid" power generation, allowing tech giants to secure dedicated electricity supplies to meet increased demand for AI infrastructure. One of the most visible examples is taking shape in northwest Ohio, where construction crews are building an 800-acre data center for Meta Platforms near Bowling Green.
The plant, which will generate enough electricity to power roughly 100,000 homes, is being financed by Meta but was initially listed in public documents under the name Liames LLC, a subsidiary entity that obscured the tech giant's involvement. The project's draft air permit was not publicly available until after construction had already begun.
The investigation identified at least 57 proposed or under-construction off-grid power plants intended to serve individual data centers across the country. Combined, those projects represent approximately 73,000 megawatts of generating capacity, enough electricity to power tens of millions of homes.
Most are fueled by natural gas. The rapid expansion is being driven by explosive growth in AI. Training and operating advanced AI models requires enormous amounts of electricity, pushing technology companies to seek dedicated energy sources rather than relying solely on already strained regional power grids.
Industry groups say developers are acting responsibly. The Data Center Coalition, whose members include Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft, told the outlet that data center operators are committed to being good neighbors while securing critical energy supplies. But critics warn that speed has come at the expense of transparency.
Michael Cork, a researcher at Harvard University, described the rapid deployment of off-grid natural gas generation as "one of the largest under-examined air-quality risks in the country." Natural gas plants emit nitrogen oxides and fine particulate pollution, both of which have been linked to respiratory illnesses.
Lawmakers in several states have enacted measures that streamline approvals or limit public oversight. In West Virginia, legislation exempts certain data center microgrids from local zoning laws. In Ohio, lawmakers recently approved provisions shielding some data center-related information from public records requests.
Questions have also emerged around operations linked to Elon Musk and his AI company xAI. Reuters previously reported that gas turbines powering the company's Colossus data center campus in Tennessee and Mississippi operated without permits, with xAI arguing the units were temporary and exempt from certain regulations.
For many residents, the debate is less about artificial intelligence and more about local accountability. Brian Rothenberg, a township trustee near Columbus, told Reuters that officials are still seeking details about a proposed fuel-cell power plant planned to support an Amazon Web Services data center near an elementary school.
"My biggest concern is health and security," Rothenberg said. "I don't want my constituents to be lab rats if something goes wrong." Back in Bowling Green, Kidd shares similar fears as construction continues outside her window. "For my family and my daycare families, their safety is my number one priority," she told Reuters. "I feel like right now I can't guarantee that."
