Summary
An Environment America analysis of federal filings puts proposed US grid-connected natural-gas capacity due by 2030 at 60.4 GW, up 44% from December 2025. The report links much of the increase to rising electricity demand from data centres.
Proposed additions of grid-connected natural-gas power capacity in the United States reached 60.4 gigawatts (GW) by the end of 2030, according to an Environment America Research & Policy Center analysis of federal filings. That is 44% above the 41.8 GW forecast in December 2025. The report, published on October 5, 2026, says rising electricity demand from data centres is a major driver.
These figures describe planned capacity, not plants already operating or certain to be built. The report’s August 2026 tally draws on the Energy Information Administration’s July 2026 Electric Power Monthly, published in September. Planned gas capacity stood at 20.4 GW in January 2023, making the latest figure nearly three times as high.
Data-centre demand and the changing power mix
The report cites Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates that data centres used 4.7% of US electricity in 2024, up from 1.9% in 2018. The laboratory estimates their share could reach between 9.5% and 15.3% by 2030. Environment America says that expected growth is reflected in proposals for new power plants, while attributing the gas-plant surge largely to data-centre demand.
Planned additions of renewable power have not grown at the same pace, according to the analysis. Solar remains the largest anticipated source of new generating capacity, but planned solar additions have stalled. Proposed wind additions have fallen 33.9% since December 2025; by 2030, the report says, planned gas capacity is three times the anticipated wind capacity.
A gigawatt measures power-generating capacity rather than the amount of electricity produced over time. If built, combined-cycle gas plants typically operate for 25 to 30 years, so proposed construction could shape the power mix and associated emissions for decades.
Texas accounts for about a third of planned gas capacity
Texas leads the proposed buildout, with about 20 GW of new gas capacity—33.2% of the national total in the analysis. Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Mississippi follow. Together, the five states account for 61% of planned additions, while proposals span 32 states and Washington, D.C.
Gas-fired generation releases nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, pollutants that can contribute to smog and harm health. The report also points to methane leaks associated with gas extraction and transport, as well as possible effects on water, land and wildlife from drilling and pipeline infrastructure. Those consequences would depend on which proposals proceed and how the facilities and fuel supply are developed.
The EIA filings counted in this analysis cover planned generators connected to the electricity grid. They do not capture gas plants data centres may build off-grid for their own use, so the reported 60.4 GW is not a total of all potential gas generation associated with data centres.