A Global Energy Monitor update shows US gas-fired power capacity tied to data centers more than doubling from about 97 GW at the end of 2025 to roughly 189 GW by mid-2026, underscoring a rapid private fossil-fuel buildout to fuel AI and data-center growth.

Approximately half of this new capacity is linked to datacenter expansion for AI, raising concerns about a heavier fossil-fuel dependence and the potential for higher emissions, with estimates suggesting up to a 20% rise in US power emissions.

There is a political angle as critics tie fossil-fuel expansion to climate policy debates, with contrasts drawn between US trends and China’s renewables-led growth, influencing electoral considerations.

Global Energy Monitor cautions that not all announced projects will be built due to financing, opposition, moratoriums, and equipment constraints, but many completed projects could lock in emissions for decades.

Industry and policy shifts include tech giants like Google, OpenAI, and Amazon driving datacenter expansion, while some political authorities promote datacenter development with relaxed environmental reviews.

China’s data-center growth is increasingly powered by renewables, with fewer private gas-power projects and a greater emphasis on solar and hydro, contrasting with the US trajectory.

Ethical and environmental concerns are raised about climate impacts, water use in drought-prone areas, rising power bills, and local opposition to datacenter construction, including bans or restrictions in certain jurisdictions.

If all announced and underway projects are built, the US could expand its gas fleet by about two-thirds at a capital cost north of $647 billion.

Private gas power exploration in the US carries emissions risks, as many facilities may operate with inefficient turbines and emit large quantities of greenhouse gases, potentially rivaling the annual emissions of several small- to mid-sized countries.

Notably, the US is building twice as much gas-fired capacity as China, emerging as the leading global developer of new gas power plants.

Datacenters increasingly rely on behind-the-meter private gas plants to bypass grid delays and avoid higher costs for ratepayers, though this raises climate and emissions concerns due to turbine inefficiencies.

Geopolitically, the US-China energy strategies in AI are framed differently: China emphasizes renewables-led data-center infrastructure as a path to energy independence.