It’s a new heyday for gas thanks to data centers
TL;DR
The US is leading a global surge in new gas power plants, largely to meet data center energy demand, increasing planet-heating pollution. Over a third of US growth is for data centers, with gas-fired capacity rising 31% globally in 2025.
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
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