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AI Fuels Global Gas Boom: Climate Fears Rise
29 Jan
Summary
- Planned gas projects by 2026 could triple global capacity.
- US leads development, with a third of capacity for AI data centers.
- Lifetime emissions from US projects could double current annual emissions.
Global gas-fired power generation is experiencing an unprecedented surge, with projects slated for completion by 2026 expected to nearly triple current capacity. This expansion is largely fueled by the escalating energy needs of artificial intelligence data centers, particularly in the United States. A substantial portion of the new gas power infrastructure will be situated directly at these data centers.
The US is leading this global push, accounting for nearly a quarter of all gas capacity under development. Texas is identified as the epicenter of this boom within the US. This rapid growth in gas power generation carries significant environmental consequences, as scientists warn of the urgent need to phase out fossil fuels to mitigate disastrous global heating.
The lifetime carbon dioxide emissions from the gas projects planned in the US alone are projected to be double the country's current annual emissions. Worldwide, this expansion could lead to a substantial increase in emissions, exacerbating global heatwaves, droughts, and floods. Experts caution that this reliance on gas for uncertain AI demand risks locking in decades of pollution.
