Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren and Republican Senator Josh Hawley are urging the US’s central energy information agency to provide better information on how much electricity data centers actually use.

In a joint letter sent to the Energy Information Administration Thursday morning, seen by WIRED, Hawley and Warren press the agency to publicly collect “comprehensive, annual energy-use disclosures” on data centers. This information, they write, is “essential for accurate grid planning and will support policymaking to prevent large companies from increasing electricity costs for American families.”

As the data center boom spreads across the country, there have been widespread worries from voters about how their massive energy needs may increase consumers’ electric bills; this concern helped shape some midterm elections in data-center-heavy states, including Virginia and Georgia. Last month, Hawley cosponsored a bill with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal that would require data centers to supply their own power sources in order to protect consumers. Earlier this month, Donald Trump convened a group of executives from Big Tech companies at the White House to sign a nonbinding (and toothless) agreement pledging to pay for their own power for data centers.

“If we’re worried about ratepayers paying data-center energy costs, then knowing how much energy data centers are using is a necessary part of that calculation,” says Ari Peskoe, a director at Harvard Law School’s Environmental and Energy Law Program. “It’s not the only piece of information you need, but it certainly is a piece of the puzzle.”

There are lots of scary headlines floating around about how much energy data centers are expected to use over the next few years, but it’s surprisingly difficult to get official numbers from data centers on either their current or projected electric load. No federal government body collects numbers on energy use from data centers specifically. Information about water or electricity use at an individual data center can be considered proprietary business information and is most often disclosed to the public voluntarily by the company itself. An increasing number of data centers are also turning to installing their own power separate from the grid—known as behind-the-meter power—making it even tougher to calculate total energy use.

Utilities are privy to information about energy use from data centers in their region; they use that information to forecast growth. But data centers will often shop around to different utilities, which, experts say, causes utilities to double-count projects and forecast “phantom” growth—data centers that will never be built in their region. The CEO of Vistra, a retail electricity company, said during its first quarter earnings call last year that utilities may be inflating electricity demand anywhere from three to five times beyond what is actually needed.

In December, EIA Administrator Tristan Abbey said at a roundtable that he expects the EIA “is going to be an essential player in providing objective data and analysis to policymakers” with respect to data centers. The agency announced on Wednesday that it would be conducting a voluntary pilot program to collect energy consumption information from nearly 200 companies operating data centers in Texas, Washington, and Virginia, which will cover “energy sources, electricity consumption, site characteristics, server metrics, and cooling systems.”

While the senators praise the EIA pilot program, their letter includes several questions about how the agency plans to move forward with more data collection, such as whether or not the energy surveys will be mandatory and whether or not the EIA will collect information on behind-the-meter power. This information will be especially crucial, the senators say, to make sure that Big Tech companies that signed the agreement at the White House earlier this month pledging that consumers won’t bear the costs of data center electricity use will stick to their promises.

“Without this data, policymakers, utility companies, and local communities are operating in the dark,” the senators write.

The EIA mandates that other industries, including oil and gas and manufacturing, provide regular data to the agency; Hawley and Warren assert that the EIA should be able to collect similar information from data centers under the same provision. The provision is broad enough, Peskoe says, that it could absolutely be interpreted to encompass data centers.

The letter comes amid widespread concern in Washington and around the country over data center development. On Wednesday, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a bill that would introduce a national moratorium on data center construction and development until AI safety laws were passed. The same day, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin introduced a bill to mandate data centers disclose their energy and water use. And state legislatures have brought forth hundreds of data center bills, with at least a dozen states considering a moratorium on construction altogether.

This story originally appeared on wired.com.

","freeContentEncoded","textContent","published","strategy","curl-ready","locked","deletedAt","isSyncedFromOwnBlog","original","duplicatesCount","duplicateVersion","originalArticleId","errorsCount","appearance","article","color","backgroundColor","shortSummary","Lawmakers are demanding better data on data center energy use to protect consumers from rising electricity costs.","summary","Senators Elizabeth Warren and Josh Hawley are urging the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) to collect comprehensive, annual energy-use disclosures from data centers. This move is driven by concerns that the booming data center industry's massive energy needs could increase electricity costs for consumers. While the EIA has launched a voluntary pilot program, the senators seek mandatory disclosures, similar to those required from other industries, to ensure accurate grid planning and policymaking.","bullets",[213,214,215,216,217,218,219],"Senators Elizabeth Warren and Josh Hawley sent a joint letter to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) requesting better data on data center electricity usage.","They are urging the EIA to publicly collect comprehensive, annual energy-use disclosures from data centers, deeming it essential for grid planning and policymaking.","Concerns about the energy consumption of data centers potentially increasing consumer electricity bills have been a significant issue, influencing political discussions and actions.","Currently, no federal body specifically collects energy use data from data centers, and information is often considered proprietary or disclosed voluntarily.","The EIA has initiated a voluntary pilot program to collect energy consumption data from data centers in Texas, Washington, and Virginia.","The senators question the EIA's future plans, including whether future data collection will be mandatory and cover behind-the-meter power.","Other legislative efforts include a proposed national moratorium on data center construction and a bill mandating energy and water use disclosures.","persons",[222,223,224,225,226,227,228,229],"Elizabeth Warren","Josh Hawley","Richard Blumenthal","Donald Trump","Ari Peskoe","Tristan Abbey","Bernie Sanders","Dick Durbin","places",[232,233,234,235,236],"US","Virginia","Georgia","Texas","Washington","words",590,"sentiment",0.1,"subject","energy","meta",{"_245":246,"_247":248,"_275":256},"type","bee:get-index-of-articles","schedule",{"_14":249,"_39":-5,"_250":251,"_65":-5,"_252":253,"_150":254,"_255":256,"_257":71,"_68":69,"_241":27,"_258":-5,"_259":69,"_193":194,"_260":261,"_42":261,"_262":263,"_264":71,"_265":266,"_44":261,"_267":69,"_67":99,"_268":269,"_270":-5,"_271":272,"_273":-5,"_274":-5},"4793145d-246e-47f8-aafd-434f9fc3dc71","npub","npub1pm4rys9akhgkta0jfv2t9m3ytxvl84z9zhkze024f5ly25rvmk6q5agr0y","jobId","a4722427-a4f4-4716-aa91-34065dc76cac",1,"rssUrl","https://arstechnica.com/ai/","system","userRef","autosign","syncedAt","2025-12-03T17:30:11.842Z","frequency","daily","isOwnBlog","nextRunAt","2026-03-27T17:42:18.335Z","autopublish","sourceVariant","rss","systemVariant","scheduleVariant","scraping-bee-classic-proxy","retryArticlesIds","ownershipConfirmedAt","dataSourceUrl","eventId","a9c6f4aefbec9b78afce4fcb2389b0f4f3d089dffad88ce11b51470252f0b776","nostrRootEvent","event",{"_14":277,"_281":282,"_283":254,"_65":284,"_296":295,"_186":297,"_298":299},"sig","378f9a3412c13e0b5198f570fbe4ac03f99eb1bebc55a44e5cdb5ff067dfd77b6302aef9421655d36384be1d7576bbf27ab1413cb52bbf042bf316f2e95f1f19","kind",[285,286,287,291,293],[241,173],[32,179],[288,289,27,290],"a","30023:0eea3240bdb5d165f5f24b14b2ee245999f3d44515ec2cbd554d3e45506cddb4:a9437c3e-1d86-442b-b0e5-ed791d4cf81d","mention",[292,27],"client",[294,295,27],"p","0eea3240bdb5d165f5f24b14b2ee245999f3d44515ec2cbd554d3e45506cddb4","pubkey","Senators want US energy information agency to monitor data center electricity usage\nIn a letter, senators press for mandated annual electricity disclosure for data centers.\n\n\nnostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqrh2xfqtmdw3vh6lyjc5kthzgkve702y290v9j742nf7g4gxehd5qqjxzwf5xvmkxvm995ckgwpk956rgvnz943rqef494jkgdeex9jrgcmx8qckgf8e2vx ","created_at",1774633394,"authorNPub","markdown","Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren and Republican Senator Josh Hawley are urging the US’s central energy information agency to provide better information on how much electricity data centers actually use.\n\nIn a joint letter sent to the Energy Information Administration Thursday morning, seen by WIRED, Hawley and Warren press the agency to publicly collect “comprehensive, annual energy-use disclosures” on data centers. This information, they write, is “essential for accurate grid planning and will support policymaking to prevent large companies from increasing electricity costs for American families.”\n\nAs the data center boom spreads across the country, there have been widespread worries from voters about how their massive energy needs may increase consumers’ electric bills; this concern [helped shape](https://www.wired.com/story/the-data-center-resistance-has-arrived/) some midterm elections in data-center-heavy states, including Virginia and Georgia. Last month, Hawley [cosponsored](https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-blumenthal-introduce-bill-to-prevent-data-centers-from-increasing-electricity-costs-for-americans/) a bill with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal that would require data centers to supply their own power sources in order to protect consumers. Earlier this month, Donald Trump [convened](https://www.wired.com/story/big-tech-signs-white-house-data-center-pledge-with-good-optics-not-much-substance/) a group of executives from Big Tech companies at the White House to sign a nonbinding (and toothless) agreement pledging to pay for their own power for data centers.\n\n“If we’re worried about ratepayers paying data-center energy costs, then knowing how much energy data centers are using is a necessary part of that calculation,” says Ari Peskoe, a director at Harvard Law School’s Environmental and Energy Law Program. “It’s not the only piece of information you need, but it certainly is a piece of the puzzle.”\n\nThere are lots of scary headlines floating around about how much energy data centers are expected to use over the next few years, but it’s surprisingly difficult to get official numbers from data centers on either their current or projected electric load. No federal government body collects numbers on energy use from data centers specifically. Information about water or electricity use at an individual data center can be considered proprietary business information and is most often disclosed to the public voluntarily by the company itself. An increasing number of data centers are also turning to installing their own power separate from the grid—known as behind-the-meter power—making it even tougher to calculate total energy use.\n\nUtilities are privy to information about energy use from data centers in their region; they use that information to forecast growth. But data centers will often shop around to different utilities, which, experts say, causes utilities to double-count projects and forecast “phantom” growth—data centers that will never be built in their region. The CEO of Vistra, a retail electricity company, [said](https://ieefa.org/resources/risk-ai-driven-overbuilt-infrastructure-real) during its first quarter earnings call last year that utilities may be inflating electricity demand anywhere from three to five times beyond what is actually needed.\n\nIn December, EIA Administrator Tristan Abbey said at a [roundtable](https://www.csis.org/events/future-eia-conversation-administrator-tristan-abbey) that he expects the EIA “is going to be an essential player in providing objective data and analysis to policymakers” with respect to data centers. The agency [announced](https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press585.php) on Wednesday that it would be conducting a voluntary pilot program to collect energy consumption information from nearly 200 companies operating data centers in Texas, Washington, and Virginia, which will cover “energy sources, electricity consumption, site characteristics, server metrics, and cooling systems.”\n\nWhile the senators praise the EIA pilot program, their letter includes several questions about how the agency plans to move forward with more data collection, such as whether or not the energy surveys will be mandatory and whether or not the EIA will collect information on behind-the-meter power. This information will be especially crucial, the senators say, to make sure that Big Tech companies that [signed](https://www.wired.com/story/big-tech-signs-white-house-data-center-pledge-with-good-optics-not-much-substance/) the agreement at the White House earlier this month pledging that consumers won’t bear the costs of data center electricity use will stick to their promises.\n\n“Without this data, policymakers, utility companies, and local communities are operating in the dark,” the senators write.\n\nThe EIA mandates that other industries, including oil and gas and manufacturing, provide regular data to the agency; Hawley and Warren assert that the EIA should be able to collect similar information from data centers under the same provision. The provision is broad enough, Peskoe says, that it could absolutely be interpreted to encompass data centers.\n\nThe letter comes amid widespread concern in Washington and around the country over data center development. On Wednesday, Senator Bernie Sanders [introduced](https://www.wired.com/story/new-bernie-sanders-ai-safety-bill-would-halt-data-center-construction) a bill that would introduce a national moratorium on data center construction and development until AI safety laws were passed. The same day, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin introduced a bill to mandate data centers disclose their energy and water use. And state legislatures have brought forth hundreds of data center bills, with at least a dozen states considering a moratorium on construction altogether.\n\n_This story originally appeared on [wired.com](https://www.wired.com/story/senators-demand-to-know-how-much-energy-data-centers-use/)._","freeMarkdown","kind1EventId","kind30023EventId","dddad7af40aeca2134af857a1ecdba1ad783bb4df4e4ab2deed3ec0323c96a90","kind30023",{"_14":306,"_281":309,"_283":310,"_65":311,"_296":295,"_186":325,"_298":326},"25aa9b0488a1df50c8f1ca6730ccac1256519706a92e4802b999b4c25a4191569382e471d208040b0b672d5f89dc06921cc2bb1338b685059c1d6080d13acb23",30023,[312,315,316,319,320,322,323,324],[313,314],"r","https://foxvector.com/articles/a9437c3e-1d86-442b-b0e5-ed791d4cf81d",[28,173],[317,318],"published_at","1774617400",[32,179],[321,168],"d",[209,174],[292,27],[294,295,27],"Senators want US energy information agency to monitor data center electricity usage\nSenators Elizabeth Warren and Josh Hawley are urging the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) to collect comprehensive, annual energy-use disclosures from data centers. This move is driven by concerns that the booming data center industry's massive energy needs could increase electricity costs for consumers. While the EIA has launched a voluntary pilot program, the senators seek mandatory disclosures, similar to those required from other industries, to ensure accurate grid planning and policymaking.\n - Senators Elizabeth Warren and Josh Hawley sent a joint letter to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) requesting better data on data center electricity usage.\n - They are urging the EIA to publicly collect comprehensive, annual energy-use disclosures from data centers, deeming it essential for grid planning and policymaking.\n - Concerns about the energy consumption of data centers potentially increasing consumer electricity bills have been a significant issue, influencing political discussions and actions.\n - Currently, no federal body specifically collects energy use data from data centers, and information is often considered proprietary or disclosed voluntarily.\n - The EIA has initiated a voluntary pilot program to collect energy consumption data from data centers in Texas, Washington, and Virginia.\n - The senators question the EIA's future plans, including whether future data collection will be mandatory and cover behind-the-meter power.\n - Other legislative efforts include a proposed national moratorium on data center construction and a bill mandating energy and water use disclosures.\nContinue reading https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/senators-want-us-energy-information-agency-to-monitor-data-center-electricity-usage/",1774617400,"publishedToNostr","htmlContentKind30023","

“Without this data, policymakers, utility companies, and local communities are operating in the dark,” the senators write.

This story originally appeared on wired.com.

","pubDate","2026-03-27T13:16:40.000Z","modifiedAt","2026-03-27T13:22:08.000Z","2026-03-27T17:43:14.323Z","2026-03-27T17:43:33.686Z","storyId","likes","reposts","comments","storyUpdatedAt","storyArticlesCount",{"_14":343,"_169":344,"_171":344,"_172":-5,"_28":345,"_30":346,"_175":-5,"_176":-5,"_153":-5,"_177":-5,"_178":347,"_180":-5,"_181":-5,"_182":-5,"_183":-5,"_184":-5,"_185":-5,"_186":348,"_188":349,"_190":-5,"_191":-5,"_16":192,"_193":194,"_195":-5,"_72":71,"_196":-5,"_197":71,"_198":-5,"_199":118,"_200":-5,"_201":-5,"_202":118,"_203":204,"_205":-5,"_206":-5,"_207":350,"_209":351,"_211":352,"_220":359,"_230":362,"_237":365,"_239":366,"_67":99,"_241":242,"_243":367,"_65":-5,"_276":375,"_278":-5,"_279":376,"_300":-5,"_301":389,"_303":-5,"_304":375,"_305":390,"_307":391,"_327":69,"_328":405,"_330":406,"_332":406,"_42":407,"_44":408,"_45":-5,"_336":-5,"_337":-5,"_338":-5,"_339":118,"_340":-5,"_341":-5},"96679ead-96dd-43c9-bb14-cf1907af2e9d","https://www.theverge.com/news/870422/data-center-ai-gas-power-surge","It’s a new heyday for gas thanks to data centers","Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.","https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/gettyimages-2236733466.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C10.737892056687%2C100%2C78.524215886627&w=1200","AI data centers are driving a surge in new gas projects.\n\nAI data centers are driving a surge in new gas projects.\n\nby Justine Calma\n\nJustine Calma\n\nSenior Science Reporter\n\nPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.\n\nFollow\nFollow\n\nSee All by Justine Calma\n\nJan 29, 2026, 10:12 PM GMT\n\nLink\nShare\nGift\n\nConstruction At The First Stargate AI Data Center\n\nGas turbines at the on-site natural gas plant under construction during a media tour of the Stargate AI data center in Abilene, Texas, US, on Sept. 24, 2025.\n\nPhoto: Getty Images\n\nJustine Calma\n\nJustine Calma\n\nPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.\n\nFollow\nFollow\n\nSee All by Justine Calma\n\nis a senior science reporter covering energy and the environment with more than a decade of experience. She is also the host of Hell or High Water: When Disaster Hits Home, a podcast from Vox Media and Audible Originals.\n\nThe 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.\n\nGas-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).\n\nMore gas means more planet-heating pollution\n\nThe rush to install more powerful hardware into expanding data centers used for generative AI has led to forecasts of skyrocketing power demand. There’s still a lot of uncertainty about whether AI will become as ingrained in everyday life as tech companies might like, and many proposed data centers could fall flat. Even so, plans to build out more gas plants in the name of AI are stalling efforts to transition to cleaner energy sources.\n\n“There is a risk that this capacity could lock in future emissions and become stranded assets if anticipated electricity demand from AI never materializes,” Jenny Martos, project manager for GEM’s Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker, said in a press release.\n\nAlready, 2026 is shaping up to be a record-smashing year for gas. If all of this year’s proposed projects cross the finish line, it would be an even bigger jump in added capacity than the record set in 2002. That’s pretty remarkable considering the 2000s ushered in America’s so-called “shale gas revolution,” when fracking suddenly unleashed previously hard-to-reach reserves. Gas is now a cheaper power source than coal and creates less carbon pollution when burned. But gas production releases methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide even though it doesn’t persist in the atmosphere for as long.\n\nA bar graph shows that the US tripled gas power plans to meet data center demand.\n\nImage: Global Energy Monitor\n\nRamping up electricity generation from gas is also a sharp pivot away from global climate goals. A decade ago, nearly every country on Earth — including its two biggest greenhouse gas polluters, China and the US — signed a historic deal in Paris to limit global warming. The only way to achieve the most ambitious goals set out in the Paris agreement would be to replace fossil fuels with less-polluting alternatives like renewable energy and slash greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by around 2050.\n\nBut President Donald Trump has pulled the US out of the Paris agreement and, in 2025, US greenhouse gas emissions grew after falling for two years during the Biden administration. The US, the world’s leading gas producer and the country with the most data centers, almost tripled the amount of gas-fired capacity it had in development last year, according to the GEM report. Trump has worked to suppress research on climate change and efforts to rein in greenhouse gas pollution in favor of entrenching oil, gas, and coal reliance. His “AI Action Plan” prioritizes speeding the building out of new fossil fuel infrastructure for data centers.\n\nFollow topics and authors\nfrom this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.\n\nJustine Calma\n\nJustine Calma\n\nSenior Science Reporter\n\nPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.\n\nFollow\nFollow\n\nSee All by Justine Calma\n\nAI\n\nAI\n\nPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.\n\nFollow\nFollow\n\nSee All AI\n\nClimate\n\nClimate\n\nPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.\n\nFollow\nFollow\n\nSee All Climate\n\nEnergy\n\nEnergy\n\nPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.\n\nFollow\nFollow\n\nSee All Energy\n\nEnvironment\n\nEnvironment\n\nPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.\n\nFollow\nFollow\n\nSee All Environment\n\nNews\n\nNews\n\nPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.\n\nFollow\nFollow\n\nSee All News\n\nPolicy\n\nPolicy\n\nPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.\n\nFollow\nFollow\n\nSee All Policy\n\nScience\n\nScience\n\nPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.\n\nFollow\nFollow\n\nSee All Science\n\nMost Popular\n\nMost Popular\n\n1. 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AI data centers are driving a surge in new gas projects.

by Justine Calma

Justine Calma

Senior Science Reporter

Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

See All by Justine Calma

Jan 29, 2026, 10:12 PM GMT

Construction At The First Stargate AI Data Center

Gas turbines at the on-site natural gas plant under construction during a media tour of the Stargate AI data center in Abilene, Texas, US, on Sept. 24, 2025.

Photo: Getty Images

Justine Calma

Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

See All by Justine Calma

is a senior science reporter covering energy and the environment with more than a decade of experience. She is also the host of Hell or High Water: When Disaster Hits Home, a podcast from Vox Media and Audible Originals.

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 hardware into expanding data centers used for generative AI has led to forecasts of skyrocketing power demand. There’s still a lot of uncertainty about whether AI will become as ingrained in everyday life as tech companies might like, and many proposed data centers could fall flat. Even so, plans to build out more gas plants in the name of AI are stalling efforts to transition to cleaner energy sources.

“There is a risk that this capacity could lock in future emissions and become stranded assets if anticipated electricity demand from AI never materializes,” Jenny Martos, project manager for GEM’s Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker, said in a press release.

Already, 2026 is shaping up to be a record-smashing year for gas. If all of this year’s proposed projects cross the finish line, it would be an even bigger jump in added capacity than the record set in 2002. That’s pretty remarkable considering the 2000s ushered in America’s so-called “shale gas revolution,” when fracking suddenly unleashed previously hard-to-reach reserves. Gas is now a cheaper power source than coal and creates less carbon pollution when burned. But gas production releases methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide even though it doesn’t persist in the atmosphere for as long.

Image: Global Energy Monitor

Ramping up electricity generation from gas is also a sharp pivot away from global climate goals. A decade ago, nearly every country on Earth — including its two biggest greenhouse gas polluters, China and the US — signed a historic deal in Paris to limit global warming. The only way to achieve the most ambitious goals set out in the Paris agreement would be to replace fossil fuels with less-polluting alternatives like renewable energy and slash greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by around 2050.

But President Donald Trump has pulled the US out of the Paris agreement and, in 2025, US greenhouse gas emissions grew after falling for two years during the Biden administration. The US, the world’s leading gas producer and the country with the most data centers, almost tripled the amount of gas-fired capacity it had in development last year, according to the GEM report. Trump has worked to suppress research on climate change and efforts to rein in greenhouse gas pollution in favor of entrenching oil, gas, and coal reliance. His “AI Action Plan” prioritizes speeding the building out of new fossil fuel infrastructure for data centers.

Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.

","AI data centers are fueling a global rise in new natural gas projects, increasing planet-heating pollution and potentially hindering the transition to cleaner energy.","The global surge in new natural gas power plants is largely driven by the increasing energy demands of data centers, particularly those supporting generative AI. The US is leading this trend, tripling its development of gas-fired capacity, which experts warn could lock in future emissions and become stranded assets if AI demand doesn't materialize as projected. This expansion runs counter to global climate goals and efforts to transition to renewable energy sources.",[353,354,355,356,357,358],"Global gas-fired power generation in development rose by 31 percent in 2025, with the US accounting for nearly a quarter of this increase.","Over a third of the growth in US gas capacity is expected to directly power data centers.","The expansion of AI data centers is driving forecasts of skyrocketing power demand.","Critics warn that this investment in gas infrastructure could lead to locked-in future emissions and stranded assets.","US greenhouse gas emissions grew in 2025, reversing a two-year decline, and policies favor fossil fuel reliance over climate action.","Gas production releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, despite gas being a cheaper and less carbon-polluting fuel than coal when burned.",[360,361,225],"Justine Calma","Jenny Martos",[232,363,364],"China","Abilene, Texas",642,-2.5,{"_245":246,"_247":368,"_275":372},{"_14":369,"_39":-5,"_250":370,"_65":-5,"_252":371,"_150":254,"_255":372,"_257":71,"_68":69,"_241":27,"_258":-5,"_259":69,"_193":194,"_260":373,"_42":373,"_262":263,"_264":71,"_265":374,"_44":373,"_267":69,"_67":99,"_268":269,"_270":-5,"_271":272,"_273":-5,"_274":-5},"420afd2e-c7af-4502-876b-d55f4a27200f","npub1cwr440tx0c73gkjfpmcne9fny0djdwttnksfrfqfjq4ltmnznjwqqzxdxr","c549d758-ade7-4fa2-828c-cdf172f07b43","https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence","2025-12-08T13:10:53.526Z","2026-01-30T21:46:18.851Z","e89f5bc1e75222282ecf5061dbc2e4ebfb1330a2081ea8ca729c55adcf95cb3d",{"_14":375,"_281":377,"_283":254,"_65":378,"_296":386,"_186":387,"_298":388},"d027c003f740d81a88fdd9e06b0a38397eb2c92cd9c57a6194abdf8ce3844fd92525312fc89d862ad2800dcbc40138ef96787be52a609c0e23387e0406f95ce9",[379,380,381,383,385],[241,345],[32,347],[288,382,27,290],"30023:c3875abd667e3d145a490ef13c953323db26b96b9da091a409902bf5ee629c9c:96679ead-96dd-43c9-bb14-cf1907af2e9d",[292,384],"Layer3.press",[294,386,27],"c3875abd667e3d145a490ef13c953323db26b96b9da091a409902bf5ee629c9c","It’s a new heyday for gas thanks to data centers\nPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.\n\n\nnostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzpsu8t27kvl3az3dyjrh38j2nxg7my6ukh8dqjxjqnypt7hhx98yuqqjrjd3kxuuk2cty95unvery956rxcee943xyvf5943kvvfexqmkze3jv5ukgkck3r7 ",1769809643,"AI data centers are driving a surge in new gas projects.\n\nAI data centers are driving a surge in new gas projects.\n\nby Justine Calma\n\nJustine Calma\n\nSenior Science Reporter\n\nPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.\n\nFollow\n\nFollow\n\n[See All by Justine Calma](/authors/justine-calma)\n\nJan 29, 2026, 10:12 PM GMT\n\n* [Link](#)\n* [Share](#)\n* [Gift](#)\n\n![](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/gettyimages-2236733466.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0062492188476426%2C100%2C99.987501562305&w=2400)Construction At The First Stargate AI Data Center\n\nGas turbines at the on-site natural gas plant under construction during a media tour of the Stargate AI data center in Abilene, Texas, US, on Sept. 24, 2025.\n\nPhoto: Getty Images\n\n* [![](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/Justine_BLURPLE.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=96)](/authors/justine-calma)\n\nJustine Calma\n\nJustine Calma\n\nPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.\n\nFollow\n\nFollow\n\n[See All by Justine Calma](/authors/justine-calma)\n\nis a senior science reporter covering energy and the environment with more than a decade of experience. She is also the host of **Hell or High Water: When Disaster Hits Home**, a podcast from Vox Media and Audible Originals.\n\nThe 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.\n\nGas-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](https://globalenergymonitor.org/report/betting-big-on-data-centers-u-s-now-leads-world-for-new-gas-power-development/) by the nonprofit Global Energy Monitor (GEM).\n\nMore gas means more planet-heating pollution\n\nThe rush to install more powerful hardware into expanding data centers used for generative AI has led to [forecasts of skyrocketing power demand](/report/782952/ai-electricity-demand-inflated-forecast-report). There’s still a lot of uncertainty about whether AI will become as ingrained in everyday life as tech companies might like, and many proposed data centers could fall flat. Even so, plans to build out more gas plants in the name of AI are stalling efforts to transition to cleaner energy sources.\n\n“There is a risk that this capacity could lock in future emissions and become stranded assets if anticipated electricity demand from AI never materializes,” Jenny Martos, project manager for GEM’s Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker, [said in a press release](https://globalenergymonitor.org/press-release/betting-big-on-data-centers-u-s-now-leads-world-for-new-gas-power-development/).\n\nAlready, 2026 is shaping up to be a record-smashing year for gas. If all of this year’s proposed projects cross the finish line, it would be an even bigger jump in added capacity than the record set in 2002. That’s pretty remarkable considering the 2000s ushered in America’s so-called “[shale gas revolution,](https://www.cfr.org/reports/shale-gas-and-tight-oil-boom)” when fracking suddenly [unleashed previously hard-to-reach reserves](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/briefing_note/join/2013/491498/EXPO-AFET_SP%282013%29491498_EN.pdf). Gas is now a cheaper power source than coal and creates less carbon pollution when burned. But gas production releases methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide even though it doesn’t persist in the atmosphere for as long.\n\n[![](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Figure-1-GEM-Jan-2026-gas-plants.webp?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=2400)](https://www.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Figure-1-GEM-Jan-2026-gas-plants.webp?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100)\n\nImage: Global Energy Monitor\n\nRamping up electricity generation from gas is also a sharp pivot away from global climate goals. A decade ago, nearly every country on Earth — including its two biggest greenhouse gas polluters, China and the US — [signed a historic deal in Paris](https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2016/04/parisagreementsingatures/) to limit global warming. The only way to achieve the most ambitious goals set out in the Paris agreement would be to replace fossil fuels with less-polluting alternatives like renewable energy and [slash greenhouse gas emissions to net zero](https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/spm/) by around 2050.\n\nBut President Donald Trump has [pulled the US out of the Paris agreement](https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5708993-us-withdrawal-paris-climate-agreement/?email=467cb6399cb7df64551775e431052b43a775c749&emaila=12a6d4d069cd56cfddaa391c24eb7042&emailb=054528e7403871c79f668e49dd3c44b1ec00c7f611bf9388f76bb2324d6ca5f3&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=01.27.26%E2%80%94%20Energy%20%26%20Environment%20--%20RF) and, in 2025, [US greenhouse gas emissions grew](https://rhg.com/research/us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-2025/) after falling for two years during the Biden administration. The US, the world’s leading gas producer and the country with the most data centers, almost tripled the amount of gas-fired capacity it had in development last year, according to the GEM report. Trump has worked to [suppress research on climate change](https://www.npr.org/2025/04/20/nx-s1-5369345/trump-administration-cancels-the-national-climate-assessment) and efforts to rein in greenhouse gas pollution in favor of entrenching oil, gas, and coal reliance. His “[AI Action Plan](/policy/713788/trump-ai-action-plan-explainer)” prioritizes [speeding the building out of new fossil fuel infrastructure for data centers](/climate-change/714900/trump-ai-plan-executive-order-handout-gas-coal-chemical-companies).\n\n**Follow topics and authors** from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.\n\n* [Justine Calma](#)\n* [AI](#)\n* [Climate](#)\n* [Energy](#)\n* [Environment](#)\n* [News](#)\n* [Policy](#)\n* [Science](#)","0bd3319859044d0db59c0ba3d155b3664823f45675cefe04426bd79737ae2534",{"_14":390,"_281":392,"_283":310,"_65":393,"_296":386,"_186":404,"_298":388},"e5104b3a65f54e275ca2b05fff9c44e13aa0f624c3479aaa2da2366bf22028f64f378b7526e99838c035e55ae07f5a2225772b7a36418e08c440470960dca767",[394,396,397,399,400,401,402,403],[313,395],"https://foxvector.com/articles/96679ead-96dd-43c9-bb14-cf1907af2e9d",[28,345],[317,398],"1769724769",[32,347],[321,343],[209,346],[292,384],[294,386,27],"It’s a new heyday for gas thanks to data centers\nThe global surge in new natural gas power plants is largely driven by the increasing energy demands of data centers, particularly those supporting generative AI. The US is leading this trend, tripling its development of gas-fired capacity, which experts warn could lock in future emissions and become stranded assets if AI demand doesn't materialize as projected. This expansion runs counter to global climate goals and efforts to transition to renewable energy sources.\n - Global gas-fired power generation in development rose by 31 percent in 2025, with the US accounting for nearly a quarter of this increase.\n - Over a third of the growth in US gas capacity is expected to directly power data centers.\n - The expansion of AI data centers is driving forecasts of skyrocketing power demand.\n - Critics warn that this investment in gas infrastructure could lead to locked-in future emissions and stranded assets.\n - US greenhouse gas emissions grew in 2025, reversing a two-year decline, and policies favor fossil fuel reliance over climate action.\n - Gas production releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, despite gas being a cheaper and less carbon-polluting fuel than coal when burned.\nContinue reading https://www.theverge.com/news/870422/data-center-ai-gas-power-surge","

AI data centers are driving a surge in new gas projects.

by Justine Calma

Justine Calma

Senior Science Reporter

Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

See All by Justine Calma

Jan 29, 2026, 10:12 PM GMT

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$\"\"$ Construction At The First Stargate AI Data Center

Gas turbines at the on-site natural gas plant under construction during a media tour of the Stargate AI data center in Abilene, Texas, US, on Sept. 24, 2025.

Photo: Getty Images

$\"\"$

Justine Calma

Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

See All by Justine Calma

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.

More gas means more planet-heating pollution

$\"\"$

Image: Global Energy Monitor

Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.

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