Trump's Deregulation Fuels Coal Plants Amid Rising AI Energy Demands

— The Verge
Key Takeaway
The Trump administration's rollback of pollution regulations is coinciding with increased electricity demand driven by AI data centers, leading to concerns about environmental impacts. The repeal of Mercury and Air Toxics Standards is seen as a move to support the coal industry at the expense of public health.
Kingston Fossil Plant, a 1.4-gigawatt coal-fired power plant located in Roane County, just outside Kingston, Tennessee on the shore of Watts Bar Lake. | Photo: Getty Images The Trump administration just tossed out Biden-era restrictions on mercury and other toxic pollutants from power plants. It's repealing Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) just as electricity demand in the US ticks up with the buildout of new AI data centers. Those standards are particularly impactful when it comes to
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