In its IPO filing, Anthropic warned that the rush to build private natural gas plants for data centers could drive up gas prices and disrupt supply in certain regions, threatening its AI operations. The company noted it relies on compute rented from Amazon, Google, Microsoft and SpaceX, including SpaceX's Colossus facility in Memphis. Analysts cited in the filing project behind-the-meter gas capacity for data centers jumped from 20 gigawatts in July 2025 to 110 gigawatts by October 2026.
wired.com
· 2026-10-27
The U.S. Energy Department on Friday added helium to its list of critical materials, citing its essential role in semiconductor manufacturing and energy generation amid risk of global supply disruption. The designation opens up additional federal financing for helium producers and subjects the supply chain to closer government monitoring. Helium is produced mainly as a byproduct of natural gas processing, with the U.S., Qatar and Russia as the top global producers.
news.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-27
A new analysis found that methane emissions from the Permian Basin, the largest US oil-producing region, have not risen even as crude production there has increased. Researchers tracked emissions over time and found levels held steady rather than growing in step with output.
nature.com
· 2026-10-27
In its S-1 filing with the SEC, Anthropic disclosed that competition for electrical supply and data center sites with adequate power is intense, and that some planned data centers will rely on on-site natural gas turbines for electricity. The filing also states that rising global temperatures could increase the company's operating costs, even as gas turbine shortages push some developers toward less efficient on-site generators.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-26
A new analysis from Energy Innovation, a nonpartisan think tank, estimates U.S. households will pay an average of $6,500 more for energy cumulatively through 2040 due to federal policy shifts under the Trump administration. Five states — Oregon, Mississippi, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming — are projected to see costs rise by about $9,000 per household.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-02
At this year's New York Climate Week, much of the climate tech industry's attention centered on the AI data center boom, with founders and investors pivoting toward energy infrastructure to power AI. PitchBook data cited shows climate tech venture funding has risen for four straight quarters, topping $14 billion in Q1 2025, driven largely by grid infrastructure, built environment, and dispatchable energy deals tied to data center construction. Some founders at the event expressed concern that this focus is overshadowing other promising climate tech sectors.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-28
At this year's Climate Week gatherings around the UN General Assembly, AI's dual role in the climate crisis emerged as a central topic of debate. UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the assembly that artificial intelligence could either help address climate-driven instability and displacement or worsen it, as a new UN Environment Program report found the world has effectively passed the point of limiting warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels.
technologyreview.com
· 2026-09-24
A new BloombergNEF report forecasts that US data centers will consume roughly 18 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day by 2035, nearly double its estimate from nine months earlier. That figure would exceed the combined natural gas consumption of Germany and Japan, with grid-connected facilities accounting for the bulk of the growth rather than onsite gas plants built by companies like Meta, Microsoft, Google and Amazon.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-15
Bloomberg forecasts that U.S. AI data centers will consume up to 15 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day by 2035, more than double an earlier projection of 6.9 billion cubic feet. The surge stems from operators turning to onsite gas turbine generators as grid power buildouts lag behind AI compute demand, with data centers expected to draw roughly 194 gigawatts, or 20% of U.S. power, by that year.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-15
MIT Technology Review's latest coverage highlights two issues: digital child-safety tools that have prevented harms like suicide and predation but also caused false alarms and anxiety, with researchers proposing better alternatives. Separately, the outlet examines how agriculture's reliance on natural gas for fertilizer production has driven price volatility, worsened by the Iran conflict's impact on trade through the Strait of Hormuz.
technologyreview.com
· 2026-09-03
Rising natural gas prices tied to the Iran conflict have driven up urea prices, which briefly exceeded $850 per metric ton in April—80% above pre-conflict levels and the highest since the Russia-Ukraine war disrupted markets in 2022. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a third of global seaborne fertilizer trade passes, has been effectively shut to commercial shipping, threatening supply to some of the world's poorest nations.
technologyreview.com
· 2026-09-03
GoKawiil