The surge stems from both grid-connected facilities and a growing trend of tech giants building their own dedicated power sources. Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are bypassing traditional utilities to construct onsite natural gas plants, which alone will consume up to 3.4 billion cubic feet daily by 2035. However, this represents only a fraction of the total growth; grid-connected centers are expected to drive an additional 15 billion cubic feet of demand per day, a figure five times greater than all other grid sectors combined.
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US data center energy demand could eclipse Germany and Japan combined
By 2035, American data centers are projected to consume more natural gas than Germany and Japan combined, a staggering shift driven by the frenzied AI arms race. BloombergNEF estimates these facilities will require 18 billion cubic feet per day, doubling previous forecasts made only nine months ago.
This rapid expansion poses significant economic and environmental risks. Analysts at Noreva warn that the combined pressure of data center energy needs and rising LNG exports could force natural gas prices to soar, potentially burdening utility ratepayers. Furthermore, the climate implications are severe. The International Energy Agency calculates that this increased consumption will generate an additional 1 million metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution daily, accounting for roughly 12% of current total U.S. emissions.
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