Edward Smith, edward.smith@sierraclub.org
Eliza Pan, Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, hello@amazonclimatejustice.org
San Francisco, Ca – A full page open letter in the Sunday papers of the San Francisco Chronicle (A3) and Seattle Times (A5) calls on the country’s largest technology company CEOs – Amazon’s Andy Jassy, Google’s Sundar Pichai, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella – to power their data centers with clean energy, or risk failing to meet their own climate goals.
The open letter says, in part:
We call on you to follow your climate goals by publicly calling on utilities to commit to no new gas and zero delayed coal plant retirements to power your data centers. As the largest customers on the grid, tell utilities you need an affordable and reliable decarbonized grid that benefits all customers.
Power-hungry data centers used for artificial intelligence and cloud computing are rapidly increasing the projected demand for electricity throughout the country. In response, electric utilities are doubling down on dirty fuels, delaying retirements of coal plants and rushing to build new gas plants to meet the anticipated demand.
The Sierra Club released its Demanding Better framework in September 2024, detailing how tech companies and other electric sector stakeholders can decarbonize the grid while powering data centers. In the interim six months, the pace of data center proposals has increased dramatically.
Organizations signing the letter include Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, League of Conservation Voters, Public Citizen, and the Sierra Club.
Statement from Jeremy Fisher, Principal Advisor on Climate and Energy for the Sierra Club and Demanding Better co-author:
“Tech companies shortchanging their climate commitments for the sake of data center market dominance is a betrayal of the ingenuity and vision that’s driven American innovation. We need bold, clear-throated leadership from these influential tech CEOs who know that our economy and wellbeing are inextricably linked to a livable climate. All tech companies must be held accountable for where their data centers go, and those data centers must be powered by local, new clean energy.”
Statement from Eliza Pan, spokesperson for Amazon Employees for Climate Justice:
“We’ve heard from so many Amazon tech workers that they’re tired and fed up with their leadership lying to them and to the public. To simultaneously have new fracked gas plants built to power their AI data centers while claiming they’re a corporate leader in renewable energy–the hypocrisy is astounding. Amazon’s been using creative accounting to mislead the public about its emissions for years, and now, with how much leadership is pouring into developing AI and building out AI data centers, the problem is only going to get much worse.”
Statement from Lashelle Johnson, LCV’s Senior Director, State Climate & Equity Policy:
“Everyday people are going to pay for Big Tech’s unchecked expansion – both on higher utility bills and more pollution. If these tech CEOs don't keep their commitments, step up, and lead on climate like they said they would, they risk responsibility for irreparable harm to people and the planet. Wind, solar, and batteries are the cleanest, cheapest and fastest sources of power and our grids need more, not less, to keep prices and pollution down.”
Statement from Tyson Slocum, Energy Program Director for Public Citizen:
“Big Tech and data center developers are among the most profitable corporations in the world, with the largest seven tech companies holding about $13 trillion in market capitalization. These companies have the financial resources to ensure that investments in communities prioritize zero-emission, sustainable energy solutions that will not only protect public health and water resources, but ensure affordable energy for consumers.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.