How AI's Thirst for Power is Fueling the Rise of Natural Gas Plants

The insatiable demand for computing power to fuel the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has led some of the world's largest tech companies to make a concerning choice: they're building massive new natural gas power plants to keep their data centers running.

Industry giants like Meta, Microsoft, and Google are all doubling down on natural gas as the primary energy source for their sprawling AI infrastructure. While the short-term benefits of cheap, reliable power are clear, experts warn that this strategy could have serious long-term environmental consequences that these companies may come to regret.

The reasons behind this trend are not hard to understand. As AI models become exponentially more complex and power-hungry, the electricity demands of the data centers that run them have skyrocketed. According to the International Energy Agency, global data center energy use grew by 15% in 2021 alone, and is projected to continue rising rapidly in the years ahead.

For tech giants seeking to maintain their competitive edge in the AI arms race, natural gas has emerged as an appealing solution. Abundant supplies, relatively low prices, and the ability to rapidly scale up production have made natural gas an attractive option to meet the voracious power needs of their AI data centers.

But this strategy comes at a steep environmental cost. Natural gas is a fossil fuel that, when burned, releases significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions - including carbon dioxide and methane, two of the primary drivers of climate change. Experts warn that the proliferation of natural gas power plants to fuel AI data centers could undermine global efforts to reduce emissions and mitigate the impacts of global warming.