Data centers in the United States have triggered a significant increase in the demand for gas-fired power, with a new study revealing a nearly 25-fold rise in gas projects connected to data centers over the past two years. The research, conducted by Global Energy Monitor, highlights that more than a third of this heightened demand is directly tied to gas projects aimed at powering data centers, equivalent to the energy required for millions of US households.
Global Energy Monitor’s findings shed light on the substantial impact of data centers on the US gas market. The surge in gas-fired power infrastructure development, if all projects proceed, could boost the US gas fleet by almost 50 percent, adding nearly 252 gigawatts to the existing capacity of 565 gigawatts. This growth underscores the crucial role data centers play in driving up gas demand, nearly tripling it over the past two years.
As the US government supports the expansion of data centers while easing pollution regulations on power plants and gas extraction, concerns about increased greenhouse gas emissions loom large. The scale of these developments, as noted by a representative from the Clean Air Task Force, indicates significant implications for emissions reduction efforts.
Source: WIRED