Data Centers Now Rival LNG Terminals in the Race for New U.S. Gas

For most of the past decade, the story of U.S. natural gas demand growth was written on the Gulf Coast. Every new liquefaction train meant another billion cubic feet a day leaving the country, and the 2026 run of final investment decisions extended that pipeline well into the 2030s. A new tally suggests the export terminals now have a rival of the same size. East Daley Analytics counted roughly 32 Bcf/d of announced incremental gas demand across the United States by 2031, Natural Gas Intelligence reported this week.

Hyperscaler data center campuses and LNG feedgas each account for around 16 Bcf/d, with other power, industrial and residential additions making up the rest. "It's not just an LNG story anymore," East Daley analyst Jaxson Fryer said during the firm's webinar. "We've been talking about LNG and all the demand there for quite some time. East Daley said only a fraction of the 16 Bcf/d tied to announced data centers is likely to materialize, and it puts its working floor at about 5.5 to 6 Bcf/d.

Feedgas flows to export terminals have averaged 18.7 Bcf/d so far this year, up 2.5 Bcf/d from the 2025 average, according to Wood Mackenzie data cited by NGI, and are expected to climb back above 20 Bcf/d by year end. NGI also reported on 5 October that Venture Global has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to place its 3.6 Bcf/d Plaquemines LNG facility in service and begin commercial operations. East Daley's regional breakdown shows how the two sources of growth sit on the map.

The EIA's base case had gas-fired generation rising 1.7%, or 29 billion kWh, between 2025 and 2027. The first test is how many announced campuses reach their own final investment decisions in 2027, which will show whether the data center figure drifts toward East Daley's floor or its ceiling.