US AI data centers projected to become the fifth-largest natural gas consumer in the world by 2035 — consumption to grow by 15 billion cubic feet per day as demand for compute increases
Data centers in the U.S. are projected to use up more natural gas than most of the rest of the world to generate the electricity they need. Estimates suggest that 15 billion cubic feet per day are needed to keep data centers running by 2035.
The projected natural gas consumption of U.S. data centers is expected to skyrocket to 15 billion cubic feet per day by 2035, a substantial 117% increase from the previous forecast of 6.9 billion cubic feet. Bloomberg reported this surge in demand, which is being fueled by the increasing reliance on gas turbine generators for power.
This projection aligns with other forecasts suggesting that data centers will consume 20% of U.S. power by 2035, translating to approximately 194 gigawatts. Small modular reactors and other innovative technologies are being developed to address the power-intensive nature of AI data centers. However, companies like SpaceX are investing in natural gas turbines, such as portable and diesel generators, to ensure a steady power supply.
While natural gas is expected to be needed for several years, the deployment of these turbines raises concerns among communities near data centers. The NAACP has filed a lawsuit against SpaceXAI, alleging that the use of these turbines has led to significant increases in nitrogen oxide, PM2.5 particles, and formaldehyde emissions.
Despite domestic natural gas producers planning to boost output by 35 billion cubic feet per day, this increase is still short of the projected demand shortfall of around 11 billion cubic feet per day. Consequently, prices may rise, posing a challenge for consumers.
Written by urgent.news from Tom's Hardware's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
