A data center (Creative Commons)

Many tech companies waste large amounts of power and violate clear-air regulations, the study found.

Warehouses that hold servers for online companies use more than 30 billion watts of electricity. Sometimes, they waste up to 90 percent of the electricity purchased, reports The Daily Beast.

Many of these companies also use backup generators. These generators rely on diesel fuel and are on the list of top diesel polluters in California.

The pollution has often been cited for violating clean air regulations, the Times reported.

The tens of thousands of data centers support the expansion of digital information. These data centers have rows and rows of servers, with cooling systems. These data centers are commonly used by tech companies, such as Facebook.

The Times found that the data centers use large amounts of energy and are often quite wasteful.

The facilities have to run 24 hours a day. As a result, the waste 90 percent or more of the electricity they buy.

The full NY Times investigation can be viewed here.

Reach Senior News Editor Hannah Madans here.