Gas turbine orders surge, prices triple; carbon neutrality faces its largest wave of breaches in history

In April this year, according to The Guardian, Google announced a partnership with energy company Crusoe Energy to supply power for its AI data centers in Texas, USA—including constructing a natural gas power plant. In May, SpaceX revealed plans to invest over $2.8 billion in purchasing gas turbines to power its AI division’s data centers. In June, Microsoft signed a 20-year long-term power supply agreement with Chevron to support its planned data centers in Texas, USA, using natural gas generation—with a total installed capacity of 2.67 GW. Microsoft also purchased seven large-scale gas turbines outright from GE Vernova, each costing over $250 million. In July, Meta withdrew from the global renewable energy initiative RE100, citing its investment in new natural gas power facilities to support data center expansion—including plans to build ten natural gas power plants in Louisiana, USA (total capacity exceeding 7 GW), and a 200-MW natural gas plant in Ohio. In August, details emerged about Amazon’s planned natural gas power plant supporting its Texas data center project—approved to emit 33 million tons of CO₂ annually, potentially making it the single largest carbon emitter in the United States. A gas turbine is an internal combustion engine used in power plants that converts fuels—such as natural gas or liquid fuels—into mechanical energy. Gas turbines can operate on multiple fuel types, including light crude oil, biodiesel condensate, liquefied natural gas (LNG), dimethyl ether (DME), methanol, heavy crude oil, hydrogen-ammonia blends, and kerosene. However, approximately 90% of gas turbines globally run on natural gas or LNG. During the global energy transition, wind and solar power are defined as the primary pathways, while natural gas is regarded as a ‘transition fuel’—still generating significant carbon emissions. As gas turbine deployment scales up, carbon emissions rise sharply. According to the International Telecommunication Union’s report ‘Green Digital Enterprises 2025’, between 2020 and 2023, the average Scope 2 (indirect) carbon emissions of Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta increased by 150%. In 2025, Microsoft and Google saw carbon emissions rise by 25% year-on-year, Amazon by 16%, and Meta surged by 64%. Data from the International Energy Agency shows that in 2024, natural gas accounted for over 40% of electricity supplied to U.S. data centers—and will remain the largest energy source for data centers through at least 2030…

ETO Markets deposits and withdrawals: Resource and environmental constraints on U.S. data center construction

Community concerns primarily focus on water use, land use, emissions, and electricity pricing. Data centers require large amounts of stable electricity for continuous operation, and some cooling systems demand sustained water supply. As project scale increases, these requirements come into more direct conflict with local public resources. Consequently, community engagement now begins earlier—in the project planning phase. Developers must understand residents’ concerns during site selection and permitting, while local governments must assess the impact of new data centers on public infrastructure. Even projects that have already invested preliminary resources may still need to revise original plans due to community feedback. Ben Dell argues that data center projects should minimize additional impacts on local water use, land use, emissions, and electricity pricing. For local governments, the amount of new computing capacity a project delivers is not the sole consideration—resource consumption and pressure on public infrastructure must also be factored into evaluations. Equipment supply adds complexity to construction The availability of critical infrastructure—including high-voltage transformers and backup power generation equipment—also affects data center construction timelines. Large-scale data centers require high-capacity power connections; grid upgrades and supporting equipment installation take time. Even projects that have secured land may face delays due to insufficient progress on power interconnection or equipment delivery. Thus, data center development is no longer merely a land-use issue. Power capacity, water resources, equipment supply, and actual customer demand all directly influence construction progress. Industry professionals note that data center projects require simultaneous completion of multiple interdependent components. Failure to secure land, power, or equipment—even one element—can stall a project indefinitely in the planning stage. This shift has also led to divergent construction conditions across projects. Those with grid interconnections, equipment supply, and confirmed demand already secured enjoy relatively clear construction pathways; projects still in early planning stages remain far more vulnerable to changes in local permitting, resource availability, and equipment delivery schedules. Construction pace affects natural gas demand Changes in data center construction speed also influence forecasts for U.S. natural gas demand. AI-driven data centers require uninterrupted, stable power supply—making newly built natural gas-fired generation facilities a likely source for part of this incremental electricity demand.

US Data Centers Projected to Consume More Natural Gas Than Most Nations

Sep 14, 2026

BloombergNEF forecasts US data centers will consume more natural gas than most nations by 2035, significantly increasing power-sector demand alongside LNG exports. This surge poses supply challenges and may end the era of cheap Henry Hub gas prices.

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