Al Gore talks renewable energy, data centers and climate crisis at Tennessee conference

Former Vice President Al Gore delivered an updated version of his Climate Crisis presentation in Nashville, Tennessee, emphasizing the accelerating effects of climate change and the global shift towards renewable energy. He noted that 86% of new electricity generation worldwide last year came from renewable sources, primarily solar and wind, highlighting the dramatic increase in solar capacity over the past two decades. Gore connected the climate crisis to the ballooning energy demand from data centers, some of which consume as much power as entire cities. He advocated for mandating data centers to be paired with renewable energy sources rather than fossil fuels. Gore criticized a bill passed by Tennessee lawmakers, currently awaiting Governor Bill Lee's signature, which would require data centers using at least 50 megawatts to pay for their own infrastructure upgrades but also allow them to produce their own power with less state or local oversight. He specifically referenced a lawsuit filed by the NAACP against xAI in Mississippi, alleging illegal air pollution from gas-powered turbines used to power its supercomputer facilities. Gore called the Tennessee bill "horrible" and "unjust" for potentially allowing companies to evade air pollution regulations, especially in areas like Southwest Memphis, which already suffer from elevated pollution and high cancer rates. Despite policy challenges, Gore expressed optimism that market forces, driven by the decreasing cost of renewables and batteries, will continue to push data centers towards cleaner energy sources.