US data centers could consume more natural gas than Germany and Japan combined by 2035 — SkimNews
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- BloombergNEF projects US data centers will consume ~18 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day by 2035 — nearly double the forecast it issued just nine months ago.
- LNG exports will remain the single strongest driver of US natural gas demand growth over the next decade, with data centers emerging as the second-strongest force.
- Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have all announced plans for new onsite natural gas power plants that bypass the grid, consuming 2.9–3.4 billion cubic feet per day by 2035 — roughly the total gas demand of all US data centers today.
- Grid-connected data centers are forecast to drive an additional 15 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas demand by mid-decade — five times more growth than every other grid-connected sector combined through 2035.
- Noreva analysts warn that the combined weight of data center demand and rising LNG exports could send natural gas prices soaring, squeezing utility ratepayers even as tech-company balance sheets absorb the hit.
- The IEA estimates that burning one cubic foot of natural gas releases 60 grams of CO2 equivalent; the projected data center surge will generate 1 million metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution daily — about 12% of current total US emissions.
Why it matters: US data centers are projected to add the equivalent of 12% of current US greenhouse gas emissions every single day by 2035, while simultaneously eroding the cheap, stable natural gas prices their buildout depends on. Utility ratepayers — not the hyperscalers building these facilities — look most exposed to that cost squeeze.
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