US datacenter demand drives fossil fuel pipeline projects
The gist
Data center power demand has pushed planned US gas capacity for data centers past 189 gigawatts by mid-2026.
A Senate permitting bill could speed the pipelines, splitting environmental groups.
How it unfolded
- Jan 29, 2025An IEEFA report found Southeast utilities in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia planned more than 20,000 MW of natural gas plants by 2040, with operators proposing or building over 3,300 MMcf/day of new pipeline capacity, more than 75% for electric utilities.
- Aug 2025Grant County Public Utility District said 79 pending service requests would consume roughly twice the energy Seattle uses, and announced plans to explore new gas-fired plants, citing nearby pipeline expansion.
- Jan 29, 2026Global Energy Monitor found 97 gigawatts of gas projects in development exclusively for data centers at the end of 2025, up from 4 gigawatts tracked in early 2024.
Key terms
- permitting bill
- A proposed law that sets rules for obtaining official approval to build or expand projects.
- environmental reviews
- Assessments of the environmental consequences of a proposed plan, policy, or project before approval.
- Public Utility District
- A local public agency that provides utility services such as electricity, water, or gas.
Source: Wikipedia