US data centers could consume more natural gas than Germany and Japan combined by 2035

BloombergNEF now expects U.S. data centers to consume about 18 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day by 2035, nearly double its forecast from nine months ago. Most growth would come from grid-connected facilities, while onsite power plants planned by companies like Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon would add several billion cubic feet per day.

The forecast suggests AI infrastructure is becoming a major force in U.S. energy markets, second only to LNG exports in driving gas demand growth. If demand rises as projected, natural gas prices and utility bills could climb, while emissions concerns intensify around the AI boom.