US data centers may burn more gas than Germany, Japan combined by 2035

A new projection suggests the AI-driven data center boom could push U.S. data centers to consume more natural gas than Germany and Japan combined by 2035, making them one of the largest gas consumers in the world.

Why it matters: It puts a concrete number on a trend already showing up in utility filings and grid-planning fights, turning AI's energy footprint from a talking point into a measurable line item in national gas demand that feeds directly into the data-center-siting backlash playing out in places like Philadelphia.