U.S. Data Centers Projected to Outpace Germany and Japan in Natural Gas Consumption by 2035
By 2035, U.S. data centers are projected to consume more natural gas than Germany and Japan combined, according to a new report from BloombergNEF. The AI boom has intensified energy demands, with data centers expected to become the second-largest driver of natural gas demand growth after LNG exports. Onsite-powered facilities by tech giants like Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are already contributing significantly to this trend. The projected consumption could reach 18 billion cubic feet per day—double what was estimated just nine months ago. Grid-connected data centers alone may account for an additional 15 billion cubic feet of natural gas use by the mid-2030s, five times more than all other sectors combined. This surge in demand raises concerns about rising energy prices and environmental impacts. Analysts warn that increased consumption could push up natural gas prices, affecting both tech companies and utility ratepayers. The additional emissions from burning this volume of natural gas would account for 12% of current U.S. greenhouse gas emissions daily.
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Topics: AI Industry Growth Data Centers Natural Gas Consumption