AI data centers need power fast — gas plants are being approved before neighbors get a say

Across the United States, the rush to expand AI is also driving a less visible buildout of gas power for data centers, sometimes before nearby residents realize the projects are advancing.

International Business Times has brought new scrutiny to the speed of that permitting process.

What happened?

Developers of large natural-gas plants built to serve single data centers are often getting approvals at an unusually fast pace, while in many cases avoiding the environmental reviews and public hearings that major power projects commonly face.

At least 57 off-grid data center plants, either proposed or already under construction nationwide, would have a combined capacity of about 73,000 megawatts. Most would use natural gas.

In northwest Ohio, Meta is building an 800-acre data center near Bowling Green, but the related power plant first appeared in public filings under Liames LLC despite being financed by Meta.

Construction had already begun before the draft air permit was made public.

Why does it matter?

Residents living near these projects face more pollution, less transparency, and fewer chances to speak up before major infrastructure is built.

Natural gas plants release nitrogen oxides and fine particulate pollution, both of which have been linked to respiratory illness.

Michael Cork, a researcher at Harvard University, said that the build-out could be "one of the largest under-examined air-quality risks in the country."

AI is now closely tied to the energy system. Training and operating advanced AI tools require massive amounts of electricity.

Growth that relies heavily on oil, gas, and coal, or that proceeds without oversight, can lead to dirtier air and unchecked infrastructure expansion.

Some states are already smoothing the path for these projects.

Ohio passed provisions restricting access to certain public records tied to data centers, while West Virginia carved out local zoning exemptions for some data center microgrids.

Turbines serving xAI's Colossus campus in Tennessee and Mississippi ran without permits, while the company said the units were temporary.

What are people saying?

Industry groups say developers are trying to move responsibly.

The Data Center Coalition — a trade group whose members include Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft — says operators aim to be good neighbors as they secure the energy supplies they need.

Concern remains high among local officials and residents.

Brian Rothenberg, a township trustee near Columbus, said, "My biggest concern is health and security. I don't want my constituents to be lab rats if something goes wrong."

Bowling Green resident Kidd echoed that fear: "For my family and my daycare families, their safety is my number one priority. I feel like right now I can't guarantee that."

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