Amy Harder

Wildfires demand action on radically different timelines: during the crisis, before the next fire season and over the coming decades.Why it matters: Climate change is worsening the underlying risk,...

Willie Nelson has become an unlikely barometer of America's biggest infrastructure fights. He once protested the Keystone XL pipeline and fracking. Today, he's fighting data centers.Why it matters:...

Move over, data centers. AI's climate impact may extend well beyond the electricity it consumes.Why it matters: A new peer-reviewed study finds AI could help produce more oil and natural gas — and ...

SEATTLE — Wildfire smoke blanketing this coastal city and much of the West is bringing an ominous reminder that the reach of destructive fires is growing. Why it matters: Climate scientists study h...

Data: International Energy Agency; Note: In terrawatt-hours; Chart: Amy Harder/AxiosA recent United Nations call to power data centers with renewable energy highlights a central tension in the AI b...

ASHBURN, Va. – A test server hall tucked inside America's "data center alley" offers a rare firsthand look inside the AI boom.Why it matters: Seeing how AI is physically made helps sharpen our unde...

Electricity demand is becoming the clearest measure of the AI industry's extraordinary expansion — and a test of how long that pace can last.Why it matters: The industry's pursuit of ever-larger mo...

After years of touting ambitious climate goals, big tech companies are now facing new scrutiny over what they disclose about AI's environmental footprint.Why it matters: The AI boom is turning a ha...

Microsoft's latest environmental report shows the growing tension between its race to build AI infrastructure and its long-standing climate commitments.Why it matters: The report mirrors recent dis...

ASPEN, Colo. — Colorado's Democratic governor, Jared Polis, defended data centers, touted oil and gas rules and bemoaned climate change in a recent interview in this mountain town.Why it matters: C...

Google's electricity, water use and greenhouse gas emissions all climbed to record levels last year as the company raced to build more AI infrastructure.Why it matters: Google has invested more agg...

Water is fast becoming one of the defining fights around the AI buildout.Why it matters: After spending much of the past year defending data centers' electricity demands, major tech companies drivi...

A top Nvidia executive says water concerns surrounding data centers could be largely addressed by the company's next generation of AI infrastructure.Why it matters: It's a bold claim with high stak...

PHOENIX — This desert region has become a bellwether for the nation's data center growth as the tech sector grapples with rising temperatures and scarce resources.Why it matters: Arizona is an extr...

The AI-driven power boom is forcing a once-in-a-generation decision about how America's electricity system should grow. The big picture: For decades, utilities planned around predictable increases ...

Amazon says its data centers use water more efficiently than the industry average and is urging others to improve as scrutiny of data centers intensifies.Why it matters: Water use has emerged as on...