Chilly Temps and Data Boom Spark US Emissions Surge in 2025

The United States saw its greenhouse gas emissions rise in 2025 for the first time in three years, according to a new analysis. This increase was mainly caused by a very cold start to the year and the growing electricity needs of data centres and cryptocurrency mining. As temperatures dropped, people across the country burned more natural gas to heat their homes. At the same time, the demand for electricity grew, especially in places like Texas and the Ohio Valley, where many new data centres and crypto operations are located. To meet this higher demand, the use of coal for electricity went up by 13 percent, even though coal is known to produce a lot of planet-warming gases.

The Rhodium Group, which studies energy and the environment, found that overall greenhouse gas emissions in the US went up by 2. 4 percent in 2025. This was more than the country’s economy grew, which means the US is making more pollution per dollar than before. The group also said that the policies of President Trump did not have a big effect on emissions last year, but they expect this could change in the future. In the colder parts of the country, most homes use natural gas or other fossil fuels for heating. When the weather got colder than usual, people used almost 7 percent more of these fuels compared to the year before.

The extra electricity needed by data centres and crypto mining also played a big role in the rise in emissions. Because natural gas became more expensive, power companies switched to using more coal, which is cheaper but dirtier. This was different from what happened in India and China, where coal use went down as they built more wind and solar power plants. Some experts say that the high price of gas in the US is partly because the country exports a lot of gas to other countries. Jesse Lee from Climate Power, an environmental group, said that when gas prices go up, coal becomes a better option for power companies. Even though coal use has dropped by 64 percent since 2007, last year’s increase was only the second time in ten years that coal use went up. Some coal plants that were supposed to close stayed open longer to help meet the higher demand for electricity.

Solar power also grew quickly in the US last year, rising by 34 percent, which was the fastest growth since 2017. Transportation, including cars, trucks, trains, and planes, is still the biggest source of greenhouse gases in the US. However, emissions from transportation stayed about the same in 2025 because more people are driving hybrid and electric vehicles. Hybrids, in particular, became much more popular, with sales going up by 25 percent compared to the year before. While President Trump has tried to roll back climate policies and support fossil fuels, the Rhodium Group says these changes did not have a big impact on emissions in 2025. Still, some people believe that his support for natural gas exports and data centres is helping to drive up emissions. The US faces a challenge in balancing its growing need for electricity with the need to reduce pollution and fight climate change. The growth of data centres and new technology means that the country will need to find cleaner ways to produce energy in the future.