Texas Power Plant Sparks Global Gas Rush as AI Demand Heats Up

A $16 billion power plant is being built in Anderson County, Texas, as part of a U.S.-Japan trade agreement. The project, which will provide gas-fired capacity for data centers and heavy manufacturing, is already generating interest from both domestic and international buyers.

The Japanese trading house Mitsui is racing to lock up LNG cargoes on the other side of the world, buying equity stakes and offtake agreements in the Middle East, Australia, and the U.S. to secure power for Japan's own AI data center buildout.

Rusty Braziel, executive chairman of RBN Energy, has analyzed the numbers and found that data centers coming online through 2030 will add roughly 4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of incremental gas demand, while new LNG capacity is on track to pull an additional 11 to 12 Bcf/d by the same year.