# Coal power lives longer next to data centres

Source: [nature.com](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-026-02769-9) · 2026-11-10 · Earth & Climate
Page: https://themorning.science/story/coal-power-lives-longer-next-to-data-centres-ca89962b850fff50
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In brief

- A Nature Climate Change analysis of more than 9,000 data centres worldwide links AI-era data centre expansion to coal power plants staying in service longer.
- A companion study reports that coal units exposed to post-2020 data centres have lower retirement likelihood, per its abstract.
- Data centre expansion may slow the coal phase-out, complicating decarbonization pathways.

## Why it matters

If data centre demand delays coal retirements, decarbonization targets for power systems may slip, and data centre siting and load growth become relevant to climate planning.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-10: Two studies published online in Nature Climate Change on coal power and data centre exposure

## Coverage

- [Coal power lives longer next to data centres](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-026-02769-9) — nature.com, 2026-11-10
- [Early evidence links data centre exposure to coal power retirement timelines](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-026-02794-8) — nature.com, 2026-11-10

Tags: coal power, data centres, decarbonization, energy transition, artificial intelligence

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science