Google backs fossil fuels to power AI, signaling retreat from climate goals
At a major tech conference, Google’s top executive praised the Trump administration’s fossil-fuel-heavy energy agenda, aligning the company’s AI ambitions with policies that sideline renewable power.
Geoff Dembicki reports for The Lever.
In short:
- Google President Ruth Porat applauded U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s dismissal of “climate extremism” and support for coal, gas, and nuclear to power AI infrastructure.
- Porat’s remarks and Google’s new white paper reflect a shift away from earlier pledges to run operations entirely on carbon-free energy by 2030.
- Google’s carbon emissions rose nearly 50% between 2019 and 2024, driven by increased energy demand from AI and data center growth.
Key quote:
“I thought Secretary Burgum’s comments were fantastic...”
— Ruth Porat, president of Google and Alphabet
Why this matters:
Google and other tech firms once championed wind and solar energy, but the industry is now embracing fossil fuels, citing the need for “reliable” power. This shift risks locking in decades of carbon emissions just as the window to prevent catastrophic warming narrows. Coal-fired plants, which emit toxic air pollutants and greenhouse gases, are being reframed by federal officials and tech leaders as “clean.” That framing misleads the public and undermines efforts to protect public health, especially for communities near power plants.
