This tracker ranks AI data center leaders on emissions

A new tracker from the climate group Climate Power ranks the AI companies building data centers by how much pollution their operations could cause. The Data Center Air Pollution Tracker looks at planned and running data centers and scores each company from 1 to 100, based on two things: how much they rely on on-site natural gas generators (rather than power from the grid) and how clean or dirty the local electricity grid is where their data centers sit.

Amazon scored highest at 68, meaning it leans least on on-site gas generators and draws more from cleaner grids. Microsoft followed at 64, with Google and Meta tied at 61. Anthropic and OpenAI scored 59 and 56. Oracle came in at 51. Elon Musk's xAI scored just 6, the lowest by far — its Colossus data center in Memphis runs on gas turbines that produce smog and are largely unregulated.

This doesn't change anything about home energy upgrades or rebates directly, but it's a window into where the country's electricity demand is headed. Data centers built for AI are expected to use a large share of U.S. power by 2035, and the current push favors new gas and coal plants over wind or solar. That matters for homeowners because the mix of power on your local grid affects the emissions tied to charging an electric vehicle, running a heat pump, or otherwise using electricity — and it can shape how much pressure utilities face to raise rates or build new generation in the years ahead.