BloombergNEF Nearly Doubles US Data Center Natural Gas Forecast to 18 Bcf/Day by 2035
Summary
- • BloombergNEF: US data centers to consume ~18 billion cubic feet/day of natural gas by 2035
- • New forecast nearly doubles BloombergNEF's own prediction from just 9 months ago
- • Grid-connected data centers to add 15 Bcf/day — 5× demand growth of all other sectors combined
- • Added data center demand would generate ~1M metric tons more greenhouse gas pollution daily
Details
Overall 2035 forecast: ~18 Bcf/day
BloombergNEF projects US data centers will consume ~18 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas by 2035, making them the second-strongest driver of gas demand growth after LNG exports.
Forecast nearly doubled in under 9 months
The new BloombergNEF figure is nearly double its own prediction from just nine months ago, reflecting how rapidly the AI infrastructure buildout has accelerated beyond earlier models.
Big Tech building onsite gas plants that bypass the grid
Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have all announced new onsite natural gas power plants that bypass the electric grid; these will consume 2.9–3.4 Bcf/day by 2035 — roughly equal to all data center gas consumption today.
Grid-connected data centers: +15 Bcf/day by 2035
Grid-connected data centers are predicted to drive an additional 15 billion cubic feet per day of gas demand by 2035 — five times more growth than all other grid-connected sectors combined, dwarfing the onsite plant buildout.
Natural gas price surge risk for utility ratepayers
Analysts at Noreva warn the combined impact of data center demand growth and rising LNG exports could cause natural gas prices to soar; while tech companies' balance sheets may absorb the increase, utility ratepayers may not be able to.
Climate impact: ~1M metric tons more GHG pollution daily
Burning the additional natural gas would generate approximately 1 million metric tons more greenhouse gas pollution per day — about 12% of total current US greenhouse gas emissions, per IEA data.
Data centers ranked 2nd-largest US gas demand driver after LNG
Over the next decade, data centers are projected to be the second-strongest driver of US natural gas demand growth, behind only LNG exports — a position that reflects the sheer scale of the AI infrastructure buildout.
Source: BloombergNEF report via TechCrunch AI (2026-09-15); climate figures per IEA; price risk analysis via Noreva
What This Means
BloombergNEF nearly doubling its own forecast in under a year is a stark signal that AI-driven energy demand is growing faster than even specialist analysts can model. The numbers are enormous: grid-connected data centers alone are projected to add more natural gas demand by 2035 than five times all other grid sectors combined, dwarfing even the headlines generated by Big Tech's announced onsite gas plants. This puts compounding pressure on natural gas prices — potentially straining utility ratepayers who cannot absorb volatility the way hyperscalers can — and adds a climate load roughly equivalent to 12% of current total US emissions. The AI buildout is no longer just a technology story; it is becoming a defining force in US energy markets, climate policy, and infrastructure planning.