Trump’s Vision for A.I. Dominance Comes With Major Air Pollution

"The president’s push for data centers is driving a boom in gas-burning power plants. Texas is leading the way."

"n March, a developer working on a Meta data center in El Paso applied to power the site with a gas-burning plant large enough to supply electricity to 300,000 homes.

Typically, approving a big power plant might require public hearings and months of detailed vetting. But Texas environmental regulators signed off in just 20 days.

They approved another project in three days. And an even larger data center power plant, also gas-burning, won approval in just two days.

All without public notice."

Hiroko Tabuchi reports for the New York Times August 5, 2026.