It’s a new heyday for gas thanks to data centers

Gas turbines made by GE Vernova, at the on-site natural gas plant under construction during a media tour of the Stargate AI data center in Abilene, Texas, in September of 2025. | Bloomberg via Getty Images

The US is now leading a global surge in new gas power plants being built in large part to satisfy growing energy demand for data centers. And more gas means more planet-heating pollution.

Gas-fired power generation in development globally rose by 31 percent in 2025. Almost a quarter of that added capacity is slated for the US, which has surpassed China with the biggest increase of any country. More than a third of that growth in the US is expected to directly power data centers, according to a recent analysis by the nonprofit Global Energy Monitor (GEM).

More gas means more planet-heating pollution

The rush to install more powerful hardwa ...

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