U.S. Gas for Data Centers Nearly Doubles Capacity to 189 GW
U.S. gas capacity under development for data centers nearly doubles to 189 GW in 2026, complicating the power sector's decarbonization goals, according to GEM and BNEF.
Global Energy Monitor (GEM) reported on August 25, 2026 that gas capacity under development to power data centers in the United States nearly doubled in the first half of the year, reaching approximately 189 gigawatts (GW), up from 97 GW at the close of 2025. The finding was reported by Latitude Media.
The data, drawn from GEM's Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker, covers projects in the announced, pre-construction, and construction phases. Total gas capacity under development in the country rose from 252 GW to 378 GW, a 50% increase, and the pipeline represents two-thirds of the installed gas fleet. The United States now has 52 GW under construction, twice that of China. The expansion is concentrated in Texas, which accounts for 77 GW of the data center-linked pipeline, on the U.S. side of the energy corridor connecting the Gulf Basin with Latin America. This dynamic sets AI's electricity demand squarely against industrial decarbonization objectives.
In parallel, BloombergNEF (BNEF) estimates that the 99 proposed gas plants to supply data centers across 22 states would generate 318 million metric tons of CO2 per year. That figure represents a 20% increase over U.S. power sector emissions from the prior year. More than one-third of the projects are in Texas, and most rely on simple-cycle turbines, which are less efficient than combined-cycle units. The largest data center-linked project is SB Energy's facility in Ohio, with 9.2 GW of gas generation to power OpenAI's data center, one of the country's largest. GEM cautions that not all pipeline projects will materialize: a quarter of the projects lack a defined start year, and financing uncertainty, turbine supply constraints, and local opposition all weigh on the outlook.
The key indicator to watch is the conversion of announced GW into actual construction, a figure that will determine how much of the boom materializes along the Texas-Gulf corridor, the same region that supplies gas trade with Mexico. According to Axios, on average only 20-30% of gas proposals reach commercial operation.
This article was written with artificial intelligence assistance drawing on verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.
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This article was drafted with AI assistance from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.