Barbara Johnson has been fighting coal pollution for many years in her predominantly Black neighborhood of North St. Louis while working with Metropolitan Congregations United, an activist group advocating for cleaner air in a city known for having some of the dirtiest air in the country. Johnson had hoped for improvements when tougher federal soot standards adopted in 2024 under the Biden administration were set to take effect in 2027, requiring power plants to significantly reduce emissions or shut down. This would have meant that Ameren’s Labadie Energy Center, one of the largest local polluters, would need to cut its soot emissions by half. However, in February, the Trump administration rescinded these standards, leaving Johnson questioning if she would ever see the positive changes she has been fighting for throughout her life.
Johnson expressed her frustration, saying, “You take two steps forward and four steps back,” highlighting her concerns about how many generations it might take to achieve lasting positive changes. Trump’s policy changes represent a significant shift in U. S. environmental policy. He issued an executive order aimed at supporting coal-fired power as it is seen as necessary to meet the rising electricity demand from data centers. His administration has allocated funding for old plants, delayed plant retirements, and loosened environmental regulations on pollutants like mercury, effectively allowing plants to avoid costly updates.
The U. S. Department of Energy predicts that the growth of artificial intelligence and data centers will create a demand for an additional 50 gigawatts of electricity by 2030, which represents an approximate 4% increase from the 1,300 gigawatts produced by all U. S. power plants. Activists interviewed by Reuters believe that the AI boom and the supportive policies are the biggest threats to U. S. air quality due to the reliance on coal and other dirty energy sources.
From 2015 to now, the number of U. S. coal plants supplying energy has dropped from nearly 400 to about 200. However, the pace of shutdowns has slowed significantly. In 2025, only four plants producing 2.6 gigawatts were retired, contrasting sharply with the retirement of 94 plants producing 15 gigawatts in 2015. A coalition comprised of farmers, environmentalists, and homeowners are opposing data center expansions due to concerns about increased power costs and water supply reductions, which may pose political risks for Republicans in the upcoming elections.
Trump’s administration has reached agreements with large tech companies to cover their energy costs to protect American consumers from rising bills. However, no steps have been taken to address the health risks from increased pollution as power generation expands. St. Louis is expected to be notably affected by the regulatory rollbacks, particularly because of its poor air quality and the presence of the Labadie plant. Last year, St. Louis experienced “good” air quality only one-third of the days, ranking 475th out of 501 U. S. metro areas.
The Labadie Energy Center significantly contributes to poor air quality, producing the highest total of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides and emitting soot at rates two to three times higher than most coal plants. This pollution incurs an economic burden estimated at $5.5 billion annually, with around $820 million of that borne by St. Louis residents. Ameren, the plant’s owner, stated that it operates within federal pollution limits and will continue running for at least another decade to ensure reliable energy supply.
The EPA has refrained from commenting on these economic estimates but is seeking to update its modeling tools. A study from the University of Washington indicated that delaying tougher soot standards would most significantly impact St. Louis. The Biden regulations would have required Labadie to cut soot emissions by more than half, potentially resulting in national public health benefits of up to $3 billion by 2037. The Trump administration, however, contends that the Biden estimates were exaggerated, claiming existing standards are sufficiently protective of public health. St. Louis clean air activists criticize this view, emphasizing that their region continues to suffer due to pollution and they are actively working to mitigate the impacts of data centers on their communities.
The neighborhoods in North St. Louis, which are mainly Black, suffer from poor air quality due to high levels of soot pollution from industrial sources and nearby highways. A Reuters analysis reveals that soot particles often exceed federal safety limits in this area. According to the NAACP, 78% of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant, while only 56% of non-Hispanic whites do. A study shows that soot pollution from these plants causes a 25% higher death rate among African Americans compared to the national average. Patricia Schuba, who leads a local environmental group, highlights the rising healthcare costs in the St. Louis area due to the need for cheap electricity.
Ameren, the energy company, has had to improve its Labadie coal plant due to stricter pollution limits. About ten years ago, they installed new controls on two of its four boilers to comply with previous regulations. In March 2025, Ameren requested an exemption from updating the remaining boilers to meet newer standards. As electricity demand rises, particularly due to data center developments, Ameren has signed contracts for an additional 2.3 gigawatts of demand. Amazon Web Services is planning a big data center project, with power supplied by Ameren. The Data Center Coalition emphasizes that utilities and regulators determine power generation choices, not data center operators.
With information from Reuters
