Across Asia, the race to build artificial intelligence infrastructure has collided with an inconvenient geological truth: the continent holds nearly three-fifths of the world's coal reserves, and those reserves are now being drawn upon to power a digital future that cannot wait for the sun or the wind. The mismatch between AI's insatiable demand for constant, uninterrupted electricity and the slower maturation of renewable energy capacity has made coal not a relic but a lifeline. Communities living in the shadow of data centers are breathing the consequence of a choice made at the intersection
Asia's AI boom powered by coal despite climate costs
Local communities face strain on utilities and increased air pollution exposure from coal-powered data centers supporting AI infrastructure expansion.