Climate Denier Group Pushes States to Embrace Coal Power for Data Centers
The Heartland Institute is urging big tech companies and state lawmakers to embrace coal and fossil fuels for data center power, citing climate denial at ALEC's annual meeting. This advocacy has influenced state-level legislation in multiple states, promoting fossil fuels and impacting the energy landscape for data center development. Several states have already adopted bills based on these model policies.
The Heartland Institute, a climate denier group, is actively pushing for the use of coal and other fossil fuels to power large data centers for AI systems and cryptocurrency mining. This advocacy took center stage at the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) 52nd annual meeting in Indianapolis, where Heartland Institute President James Taylor addressed state lawmakers, dismissing the existence of a climate crisis and advocating for increased conventional energy.
Heartland's message, delivered during a July 2025 presentation at an ALEC side event, urged tech companies to move away from green commitments and embrace coal. The organization's efforts align with ALEC's long history of promoting fossil fuels, leading to the adoption of model policies aimed at preventing "premature closures" of coal and natural gas plants and streamlining approval for energy facilities. These model policies have influenced legislation, with at least 15 "grid reliability" and "grid stability" bills introduced in statehouses, some of which became law in states like Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Louisiana, and Ohio. Notably, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a bill, which Heartland claims credit for, that directs state energy regulators to de-prioritize emissions concerns. The Information Technology Industry Council, representing major tech companies including Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and OpenAI, is also part of ALEC's leadership council.
Environmental advocates and power grid experts dispute the claims about coal's reliability and cost-effectiveness, emphasizing that renewable energy is increasingly the most affordable power source globally. Despite the rising costs for ratepayers and warnings from utilities, the Trump administration's aggressive pro-coal stance has bolstered this push, contributing to a 10% rise in coal use in the U.S. in 2025, reversing previous declines and driving global impacts on coal consumption and carbon emissions.