AI's Natural Gas Gamble: What Could Go Wrong?

Microsoft, Google, and Meta are racing to build massive natural gas power plants in the southern U.S. to fuel their AI data centers, with combined capacities reaching into the gigawatts. A turbine shortage has already driven prices up nearly 200%, and new orders won't be filled until 2028. The strategy carries serious risks. Slowing shale gas production, price volatility, extreme weather events, and competition from other gas-dependent industries could all disrupt supply. Critics warn that while tech firms claim to be bypassing the electrical grid, they are simply shifting strain onto the natural gas grid instead.