Justine Calma

If passed, the Artificial Intelligence Environmental Impacts Act of 2024 would compel the EPA to conduct a study on the environmental footprint of AI. It would also make the National Institute of Standards and Technology develop standards for measuring those impacts and set up a voluntary reporting system. AI is energy-intensive, which is why it’s stirred up concerns about how it might impact the grid and contribute to climate change.

The mandate passed last year requires companies to share how much carbon dioxide pollution they create by 2026. But several industry groups have filed suit to try to stop California from implementing the law, the first of its kind in the nation. The SEC, facing similar industry pushback, has been dragging its feet on finalizing similar nationwide rules.

The industry has been navigating choppy waters lately with soaring costs forcing companies to cancel plans to develop offshore wind farms along the east coast of the US. In a big blow to the state’s clean energy plans, Ørsted nixed two major projects off the coast of New Jersey last October. Bouncing back, New Jersey just inked new deals with Leading Light Wind and Attentive Energy Two to develop a couple new offshore wind projects.