The United States now has the most gas-fired power capacity in development globally, over a third of which is slated to directly power data centers and meet an anticipated increase in energy demand from AI, according to new analysis from Global Energy Monitor.
According to new data in the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker, the U.S. nearly tripled in 2025 its gas-fired capacity in development — projects in the announced, pre-construction, and construction phases — to a total of 252 gigawatts (GW). This volume now surpasses China and accounts for nearly one-quarter of the world’s total.
If all in-development plants are built, the U.S.’ existing gas fleet would grow by nearly 50%, at an estimated cost of over US$416 billion in capital costs.
Texas accounts for nearly a third of the U.S.’ planned buildout with 80.6 GW of the gas-fired power capacity in development – more than the next seven states combined and nearly a four-fold increase over the last year. Nearly half of this capacity, 40 GW, is planned to directly power data centers, reflecting the state’s eager appetite to meet energy-hungry tech demands.
Globally, gas-fired power capacity in development rose 31% (+249 GW) in 2025, reaching a total of 1,047 GW. Projects set to operate through 2030 are expected to surge in the last half of the decade.
This year could be a record for new gas power projects: if all planned capacity starts operation this year, it would exceed the previous record of 100 GW added in 2002 at the height of the U.S. shale boom.
Jenny Martos, Project Manager for the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker, said “The U.S. is doubling down on gas power at the expense of the energy transition. There is a risk that this capacity could lock in future emissions and become stranded assets if anticipated electricity demand from AI never materializes.”
Contact
Jenny Martos, Project Manager for the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker, Global Energy Monitor
Email: [email protected]
About the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker
The Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker (GOGPT) is an online database that identifies and maps every known oil- and gas-fired generating unit and every new unit proposed since January 1, 2020 (20 MW and larger in the European Union and United Kingdom, 50 MW or larger elsewhere). Since August 2023, GOGPT includes exclusively oil-fired power plants and oil and gas units using internal combustion technology, also known as engines. Developed by Global Energy Monitor, the tracker uses footnoted wiki pages to document each plant and is updated biannually. For further details see the tracker landing page and methodology overview.
