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Data centers tied to AI drive a surge in planned US gas power capacity
Planned gas-fired power linked to data centers nearly doubled in the first half of 2026, and a proposed Amazon Texas buildout could become the biggest source of power-related emissions in the US if completed.
OilPrice reports that the rapid buildout of data centers powering the artificial intelligence boom is fueling a natural gas revival in the United States, with planned gas-fired power capacity linked to these facilities nearly doubling in the first half of 2026 alone.
The outlet says the shift is tied to Big Tech expanding hyperscale campuses with new power plants, including Amazon’s gas-fired power project in Texas that would include seven gas plants and could become the single-biggest source of power-related emissions in the US under current plans.
OilPrice also points to Nvidia’s announced effort with SoftBank and the federal government to build what it calls the largest US fossil-fuel plant to support an Ohio project for OpenAI, plus Microsoft discussions with Chevron about a $7 billion gas-powered data center in Texas.
OilPrice cites Business Insider’s June report that if all data centers permitted through 2025 come online, they would use between 224.3 terawatt-hours and 358.8 terawatt-hours of electricity annually, about a 50% increase from the prior year, and adds that the US had 378 GW of gas-fired power capacity in development as of the first six months of 2026, up 50% in just six months.
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