Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the US Rise Due to Cold Weather and Data Centers

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Increase for the First Time in Three Years

A recent analysis has revealed that an exceptionally cold start to 2025 and the increasing demand for power from data centers and cryptocurrency mining have led to a rise in greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, marking the first increase in the past three years. Last year, households consumed more natural gas for heating, and coal usage surged by 13% to meet the heightened demand for electricity.

While solar energy saw growth as well last year, overall emissions rose by 2.4%, surpassing the pace of economic growth, according to estimates from the Rhodium Group. The authors of the analysis argue that the policies of the Trump administration have had a negligible impact on the rise of emissions, but this is expected to change in the coming years.

In the colder regions of the United States, most households rely on natural gas and other fossil fuels for heating. The low temperatures recorded at the beginning of 2025 resulted in a nearly 7% increase in the consumption of these fuels compared to the previous year. The increased demand for electricity was also driven by the expansion of data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations in locations like Texas and the Ohio Valley.

The surge in energy demand, coupled with rising gas prices, has led to increased coal usage, with a 13% rise observed. "The grid has decided to meet this additional demand partly with renewable energies and partly with fossil fuels, but due to the increased prices of natural gas, a marginally higher utilization of coal occurred compared to 2024," stated Michael Gaffney from the Rhodium Group.

Additionally, other observers note that the high price of natural gas in the US is closely linked to large exports of gas to the rest of the world. "High natural gas prices are finally making coal, which had almost been phased out due to low gas prices, viable again," added Jesse Lee from Climate Power, an environmental advocacy group in the US.

Since 2007, coal-based power generation in the US has decreased by 64%, and last year's increase is only the second in the past decade. The previous year also witnessed a slowdown in the closure rate of coal plants, as electricity companies delayed their shutdowns to meet demand.

Is 2025 the beginning of a coal resurgence? "It's more than a coincidence," says Michael Gaffney. "This is a reaction to the rising demand in the sector, which largely stems from data centers and cryptocurrency operations, and that demand increase is here to stay."

Solar energy also experienced a significant increase last year, rising by 34%, the fastest rate since 2017. Transportation in the US, across road, rail, and air, remains the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, with road traffic volumes growing for the fifth consecutive year.

However, emissions from this sector remained virtually stable in 2025 due to the increasing number of hybrid and electric vehicles on the road. Analysts from Rhodium who conducted this report state that policy changes did not have a significant impact in 2025. Some contest this, arguing that there is an explosion of data centers, which is somewhat independent of Trump's policies.