US Leads Global Surge in Gas-Fired Power to Meet AI Energy Demands

The United States is leading a significant global increase in gas-fired power generation, primarily to meet the escalating energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

According to a report by Global Energy Monitor (GEM), planned and under-construction gas power projects worldwide are set to nearly triple existing capacity by 2026. The U.S. accounts for nearly a quarter of this global development, with Texas emerging as a central hub, leading states like Louisiana and Pennsylvania in new gas power initiatives.

This expansion is largely driven by the substantial electricity requirements of AI data centers. A third of the 252 gigawatts of gas power in development is slated to be located on-site at these facilities.

However, this surge in gas-fired power raises environmental concerns. If all proposed U.S. gas projects are completed, they could emit 12.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide over their lifetimes, doubling the nation's current annual emissions.

Jenny Martos, project manager at GEM’s oil and gas plant tracker, stated, "Locking in new gas plants to meet uncertain AI energy demand means hard-wiring decades of pollution into a gambit that could be solved with flexible, clean power."

The rapid growth of AI has been a focal point for the current administration. President Trump has expressed a commitment to ensuring U.S. leadership in AI, indicating a willingness to remove regulatory barriers to expedite the construction of data centers.

Despite these efforts, the proliferation of data centers has led to increased greenhouse gas emissions and higher electricity demand, contributing to rising power bills for many Americans.

The administration has also blocked numerous clean energy projects and escalated the export of liquefied natural gas, with both measures raising the price of energy for American households, experts say.

Steve Clemmer, director of energy research at the Union of Concerned Scientists, warned, "Frenzied datacenter growth with little transparency or guardrails puts the public at risk of massive cost increases."

In response to public concern, President Trump recently stated that major tech companies, such as Microsoft, will be responsible for funding the necessary infrastructure for these data centers, though specific details of this plan remain unclear.

The expansion of gas-fired power to support AI data centers continues to be a contentious issue, balancing technological advancement with environmental and economic considerations.