{
  "id": 3238146,
  "title": "US building twice as much gas-fired capacity as China in AI boom, analysis finds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/us-building-twice-as-much-gas-fired-capacity-as-china-in-ai-boom",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-25T10:00:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Business",
    "slug": "guardian-business",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/25/us-gas-power-china-ai-datacenter"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new analysis reveals that the United States has surpassed China in the construction of gas-fired power generation capacity, driven by a surge in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) datacenters. According to Global Energy Monitor, the US is currently building twice as much gas-fired capacity as China and more than any other nation globally. This shift is largely attributed to the increasing demand for electricity to power AI datacenters, which are a crucial component of the AI boom. The analysis highlights that the US has witnessed a 76% increase in under-construction gas-fired projects in the first half of the year, with the potential to expand its gas fleet by approximately two-thirds if all projects are completed. While the US is now leading in gas-fired capacity, concerns are raised about the environmental impact of using fossil fuels to support AI datacenters, which could result in a 20% increase in US power emissions if fully built. The Trump administration has actively encouraged the construction of these datacenters, despite growing local opposition and potential political repercussions.",
  "summary": "There has been a 76% increase in under-construction gas-fired projects amid ‘frenzy’ to build more datacenters The US has surged ahead of China in the building of new gas-fired power generation, largely to feed a boom in artificial intelligence (AI) that is adding vast amounts of planet-heating emissions, a new analysis has found. For decades, China’s rapid economic growth has seen it outpace the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian US",
        "title": "US building twice as much gas-fired capacity as China in AI boom, analysis finds",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/us-building-twice-as-much-gas-fired-capacity-as-china-in-ai-boom-3238565",
        "published": "2026-08-25T10:00:34.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}