Overview

Gas-fired capacity in development has risen in the last few years, due to increasing demand from electrification, industrialization, and data centers.

Global oil- and gas-fired capacity in development rose by 8.5% in the first half of 2026 after rising nearly a third in 2025. Total global capacity in development is now 1,136 GW. The United States’ gas power in development increased by 50% in the first half of 2026 and proposals directly tied to data centers nearly doubled, reaching 189 GW. Increasing numbers of on-grid projects are also planned to meet the anticipated increase in energy demand from AI. The US now has 52GW of capacity under construction, surpassing China (24 GW) as the world's biggest builder of gas projects. Projects under construction in the US rose 76% in the first half of 2026, the country now accounts for a fifth of all gas power under construction globally. 

The proportion of gas power capacity in development is becoming increasingly concentrated. The US, China, Iraq, Brazil, and Vietnam now comprise 57% of global in-development capacity, increasing their share from just over 50% at the end of 2025. 

Global gas power expansion is bottlenecked by turbine production capacity, with manufacturer backlogs now stretching through 2030. Developers are responding by turning to gas engine and aero-derivative turbine units. Engine capacity in development more than doubled in six months, from 31 GW to 67 GW.

Methodology

Frequently asked questions