Anthropic Is Now a Worse-Polluting Data Center Company Than Elon Musk 

Anthropic claims to be a “public benefit corporation,” but is following Trump’s lead and generating a new epidemic of air pollution

Washington, DC – As Anthropic approaches its IPO, it is reportedly investing $3.4 billion in additional gas infrastructure, making it one of the worst polluting data center companies in America. According to Climate Power’s Data Center Air Pollution Tracker, the company that markets itself as the responsible AI lab now has a bigger air pollution footprint than Elon Musk’s xAI/SpaceX, whose gas-powered data center complex near Memphis, Tennessee, has become infamous for its toll on nearby communities. Anthropic is also connected to Musk’s Memphis SpaceX operation, paying a staggering $1.25 billion per month to SpaceX.

Data centers powered by coal and gas are far more unpopular with the American people than those powered primarily by clean energy. News of Anthropic’s gas-only deal comes just days after voters demanded guardrails on data centers in the midterm elections. Yet Anthropic is embracing the coal-and-gas approach that the Trump administration has pushed, even as most Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of AI.

As the New York Times headline stated, “Trump’s Vision for AI Dominance Comes With Major Air Pollution,” with the story noting that this pollution is linked to increases in “heart disease, asthma, lung cancer, strokes and other ailments in people living nearby.”

Lori Lodes, President of Climate Power, released the following statement: 

“Anthropic has built its reputation on a promise to develop AI responsibly. When Climate Power began tracking air pollution from major tech companies’ data centers, it was one of the cleaner companies. Now, Anthropic is outpolluting Elon Musk’s operation, and reportedly getting even worse with a $3.4 billion bet on gas-powered generators. Families deserve to know what these generators will put into their air and what the company will do to protect their health.

“Americans just demanded limits on data center costs and pollution, but Anthropic is doubling down on President Trump’s push for fossil-fueled AI. The company has the resources to help build a cleaner energy future. It should put those billions behind clean power and protections for the communities where it operates.

“There’s no ‘public benefit’ in asking communities to accept an epidemic of air pollution in exchange for more computing power. Anthropic cannot claim to be the responsible alternative while following Musk’s polluting playbook.”