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U.S. Data Centers Could Consume More Natural Gas Than Germany and Japan Combined by 2035

U.S. data centers may consume 18 billion cubic feet of gas daily by 2035, nearly double BloombergNEF's forecast.

AI News Feed · 2026-09-16 04:38

The facilities could consume about 18 billion cubic feet per day by 2035, nearly double what BloombergNEF predicted nine months earlier. The new forecast takes into account that not all announced data center projects will be completed, according to the report.

Data centers that produce power on site have grabbed headlines in recent months. Meta, Microsoft, Google and Amazon have all announced plans for new natural gas power plants that will bypass the grid, TechCrunch AI reported. Such projects will consume 2.9 billion to 3.4 billion cubic feet per day by 2035, about as much as all data centers consume today, including natural gas used to generate power for the grid.

But on-site-powered data centers could represent just a fraction of overall demand growth, according to BloombergNEF. By the middle of the next decade, grid-connected data centers are predicted to drive an additional 15 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas consumption by the power sector. That is five times more demand growth through 2035 than from all other grid-connected sectors combined.

If that demand growth materializes, it could nudge natural gas prices higher. Much of today's data center buildout relies on stable natural gas prices, which have prevailed in recent years. Analysts at Noreva think that might be a false hope. The combined impact of the data center boom and rising LNG exports could cause prices to soar. Even if technology companies' balance sheets can bear such a surge, utility ratepayers might not.

The climate impact is also part of the forecast. Burning one cubic foot of natural gas releases the equivalent of 60 grams of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, including extraction, processing and distribution, according to the IEA. The additional demand from data centers will generate 1 million metric tons more greenhouse gas pollution daily, or about 12% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions today.