The U.S. data center boom is driving such a surge in gas power developments that we are now outpacing China, with nearly three times the amount of gas-fired capacity in the works.
In the first half of 2026 alone, the number of gas-fired capacity under development for data centers in the U.S. nearly doubled, according to a new report from Global Energy Monitor, a research nonprofit that tracks energy infrastructure.
At the end of 2025, the nonprofit identified 97 gigawatts of gas power projects in development that were specifically planned here on-site for data centers.
Now, that figure has jumped to 189 gigawatts. One gigawatt of electricity, for context, is enough to power about a million homes.
Those figures include projects that have been announced, are in pre-construction, or are currently under construction. It’s also just a part of the surge in U.S. gas projects overall.
General gas power in development in the U.S. has jumped 50% in the first half of 2026, per Global Energy Monitor, from 252 gigawatts to 378 gigawatts.
A third of that project pipeline is in Texas alone, where 122 gigawatts of gas-fired capacity are in development—more than many entire countries are planning.
Though not all of that new gas will power data centers, the majority of it will: 77 gigawatts, or nearly two-thirds of that Texas capacity, is planned to directly power data centers.
When looking at all the gas projects under construction across the country, the U.S. is now the top builder of gas power in the world, building twice as much as China.
If you add all the projects not just under construction but that have also been announced or are in pre-construction, then the U.S. has nearly three times the gas-fired capacity in development as China.
China is seeing its number of data centers surge as AI expands as well. But unlike the U.S., China is powering them with clean energy, including solar, wind, and batteries. For some of its large data center hubs, China requires at least 80% of that data center electricity to come from clean energy sources.
Renewables are powering some U.S. data centers too, but gas is by far the dominant power source.
But it’s not a guarantee that all the gas-fired projects currently in development will come to fruition.
Particularly as the backlash against data centers grows, some data center projects become blocked or delayed.
Turbine supply constraints and issues with financing may also affect the viability of all these planned gas projects. Two-thirds of the current global capacity in development, and more than half of the projects tied to data centers, haven’t yet named a turbine or engine manufacturer, according to Global Energy Monitor.
About a quarter of the projects specifically planned for data centers haven’t yet announced a start year, the nonprofit adds.
“It is nearly impossible nowadays to guess what is a pie-in-the-sky proposal, and what has a real chance of getting built,” says Jenny Martos, project manager for the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker at Global Energy Monitor, in a statement.
Still, the projects that do get built, she adds, will both lock in greenhouse gas emissions and also push up electricity prices.
