Measuring the health costs of data center growth
The health impacts of data center and AI infrastructure are real and measurable—but rarely part of permitting decisions. A recent analysis estimated up to $99 million in annual health damages from a single proposed facility. We provide independent scientific analysis to ensure these costs are part of decision-making.
Why health matters in energy infrastructure decisions
The rapid growth of AI and data centers is driving significant new investment in energy infrastructure—and how that infrastructure is powered will shape air quality, disease burden, and community health for decades to come.
These impacts are not abstract. Emissions from on-site power generation and the broader electricity system contribute to fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅), a well-established driver of premature mortality, hospitalizations, and chronic disease. Yet these health effects are rarely incorporated into the permitting and planning processes that determine where facilities are built and how they operate.
EmPower provides independent, quantitative analysis to ensure these costs are measured and considered. We work with communities, regulators, and policymakers who need credible evidence—and with developers and operators seeking to incorporate health considerations into project planning from the outset, helping align infrastructure development with long-term community health.
In the news
Recent coverage of our analyses.
Who we support
Regulators & Policymakers
Developers & Industry
Communities
Advocacy & Environmental Organizations
Leadership
EmPower Analytics Group is led by researchers trained in environmental health and biostatistics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Michael Cork, Ph.D., MPH
Founder & CEO
Michael Cork is an environmental health scientist and founder of EmPower Analytics Group, where he leads work quantifying the health and economic impacts of air pollution from energy infrastructure and bringing those impacts into permitting and planning decisions. He holds a Ph.D. in Biostatistics from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and an MPH from the University of Washington. His research focuses on developing methods that link energy systems to population health outcomes, with work published in leading journals including Nature, The Lancet HIV, Environmental Health Perspectives, and the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society.
Francesca Dominici, Ph.D.
Founder & Chief Scientific Advisor
Dr. Francesca Dominici is the Clarence James Gamble Professor of Biostatistics, Population and Data Science at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Director of the Harvard Data Science Initiative at Harvard University. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and of the International Society of Mathematical Statistics. In 2024, she was named by TIME100 Health as one of the most influential scientists in global health in the world.
Our approach
EmPower provides independent, science-based analysis using transparent, reproducible methodologies.
Our analyses translate permitted emissions into population-level exposure estimates, projected premature mortality and morbidity impacts, and monetized economic health damages.
The work draws on EPA emissions data and permitted limits, established atmospheric dispersion modeling, peer-reviewed exposure–response functions, and standard federal health-damage valuation frameworks. All assumptions are documented, and results are transparent and reproducible—enabling policymakers, regulators, utilities, industry, and communities to weigh energy and economic development goals alongside long-term public health outcomes.
Selected work
Evaluating a proposed data center or energy project?
If a data center, power plant, or energy infrastructure project is under consideration in your community or jurisdiction, EmPower provides independent, quantitative assessments suitable for regulatory proceedings, public comment processes, and policy evaluation.
We also work with developers and operators seeking to understand and address the health implications of proposed projects.
Contact us to discuss your project.