Net-zero targets get sacrificed on the altar of economic growth

If data center demand projections hold, coal plants can't be retired—it's just math

Trump will definitely slow down climate progress,” said Andy DeVries, an analyst for CreditSights Inc.

The power demand from data centers, however, will have an even bigger impact, he said. “It just comes out to math. If these data center demand figures are anywhere near realistic, you don’t have the ability to retire coal plants.”

“The net-zero targets get sacrificed on the altar of economic growth. If a utility has a corporate net-zero target, and it’s not tied to some state law, it’s really not worth the paper it’s written on.”
--Ryan Sweezey, director of power and renewables for Wood Mackenzie