Feb 02, 2026 14:00:00Demand for data centers increases demand for gas-fired power generation by more than 30%byThe Global Energy Monitor (GEM), which monitors global energy trends, reports that the development of gas-fired power plants around the world is increasing at a record pace, driven by the rapid expansion of data centers for AI.Global gas-fired power generation development capacity is expected to grow 31% year-on-year to a total of 1,047 GW by 2025. More than one-third of gas-fired power development in the US is on-site generation projects directly intended to power data centers. Tech giants are also keen to invest in gas-fired power generation. Meta is planning to build a $1.5 billion gas-fired data center in El Paso, Texas, while Microsoft, which has made renewable energy commitments, is considering using gas-fired power and carbon capture technology to meet its demand. In the United States alone, this figure is expected to reach 12.1 billion tons, which is twice the annual emissions of the United States from all sources at the time of writing.

Source: The Guardian February 02, 2026 05:52 UTC