The United States is experiencing a dramatic expansion of gas-fired power dedicated to data centers, a trend fueled by the accelerating demand for artificial intelligence and the increasing size of these facilities. New research from Global Energy Monitor reveals a near-doubling of gas project development in the US within the past year, with a staggering 189 gigawatts of planned projects currently underway, representing a significant jump from just 4 gigawatts in 2024. This increase is directly correlated to the growing reliance on private power plants – behind-the-meter facilities – to bypass traditional grid connection delays, a move increasingly viewed as a strategic response to potential regulatory pressures and public opposition to the industry.
Global Energy Monitor, a leading research firm, has been meticulously tracking these developments, noting that in January, the group identified 97 gigawatts of gas-powered projects dedicated solely to data center infrastructure. This number has risen to over 189 gigawatts by mid-2026, a substantial increase mirroring the initial 4 gigawatts tracked in 2024. The report highlights that the US is, in fact, surpassing China as the country with the most gas-fueled projects in the pipeline, according to Global Energy Monitor’s data.
Martos, a research analyst at Global Energy Monitor, explains that this trend is intrinsically linked to the data center boom. ‘Increasingly, the US gas power buildout is directly tied to the data center buildout – you can’t talk about one without the other,’ she states. The Trump administration’s encouragement of tech companies to utilize private power through voluntary pledges like Microsoft’s, Meta’s, and OpenAI’s commitment, has further intensified this trend. However, this reliance on natural gas comes with a considerable environmental cost, particularly given the efficiency of many existing turbines, which can contribute to increased greenhouse gas emissions. As WIRED has demonstrated, some of these gas plants are permitted to emit more greenhouse gases annually than many small and medium-sized nations.
Furthermore, the report underscores that while the surge in gas projects is significant, the overall impact on the nation’s energy mix is a complex issue. The data center industry is primarily focused on renewables, especially solar and hydropower, offering a viable alternative. However, the US is currently experiencing a modest fleet of natural gas plants, with recent years witnessing a substantial increase in gas-fired facility construction. The economic implications of this expansion are substantial, as the US is locking in emissions for decades, but the long-term cost is the potential for a shift away from clean energy investment.
The report acknowledges that not all of these projects will be realized, with many currently in the planning stages. ‘There’s a lot of uncertainty: financing, your local opposition, data, your moratoriums, the turbine constraints to supply equipment—there’s so many factors,’ Martos says. Despite these uncertainties, the report concludes that the continued expansion of gas power for data centers represents a critical step in the US’s technological future, potentially reinforcing existing energy infrastructure while simultaneously increasing the country’s overall carbon footprint.
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Source: Wired Science
