US data centers could consume more natural gas than Germany and Japan combined by 2035
The AI frenzy could push U.S. data centers to become one of the largest consumers of natural gas in the world.
The U.S. data center sector is on track to consume more natural gas than Germany and Japan combined by 2035, according to a new report from BloombergNEF. This surge in demand is primarily driven by on-site-powered data centers, which could consume 2.9 billion to 3.4 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day by 2035. This is nearly double the amount previously predicted and represents an additional 15 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas consumption by grid-connected data centers by the middle of the decade.
While on-site-powered data centers could represent a fraction of this growth, analysts at Noreva warn that the combined impact of the data center boom and rising LNG exports could push natural gas prices higher, potentially causing issues for both tech companies and utility ratepayers.
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