US Data Centres Could Burn More Natural Gas Than Germany and Japan Combined by 2035
Future Technology
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COMPUTING
US Data Centres Could Burn More Natural Gas Than Germany and Japan Combined by 2035
A new analysis has put a number on something that has been worrying energy economists for a while: US data centres, driven primarily by the AI infrastructure boom, could consume more natural gas than the entirety of Germany and Japan combined by 2035. That is not a marginal increase. That is a seismic shift in global energy demand, and it has implications that go well beyond the tech industry.
Key Takeaways
- US data centres could consume more natural gas than Germany and Japan combined, totalling over 180 billion cubic metres annually, by 2035
- A single hyperscale data centre can draw 100 megawatts or more, equivalent to powering a small city
- Microsoft's emissions have reportedly risen sharply since beginning its AI infrastructure push, contradicting its 2030 carbon-negative pledge
- Natural gas is being used as the primary fuel for new data centre grid capacity in Virginia, Texas, and Georgia due to speed of deployment
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