EIA Projects Record US Gas Output Amid Rising Demand, AI Data Center Buildout

U.S. natural gas production is on track to hit new record highs in 2026 and 2027, with surging demand from liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and a wave of gas-fired power plants for AI data centers driving the outlook, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data released in September 2026. For North Dakota's Bakken formation, a major gas-producing region, the forecasts reinforce a strong market for associated natural gas, despite a recent regulatory setback for a gas plant project in North Carolina.

The EIA now expects dry natural gas production to rise from a record 107.6 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2025 to 111.7 bcfd in 2026 and 115.9 bcfd in 2027, OilPrice.com reported. Domestic gas consumption is projected to increase from 91.9 bcfd in 2025 to 92.2 bcfd in 2026 and 94.3 bcfd in 2027. Average U.S. LNG exports are forecast to climb from 15.1 bcfd in 2025 to 17.4 bcfd in 2026 and 18.6 bcfd in 2027.

A significant portion of new demand is linked to the rapid buildout of data centers for artificial intelligence across the United States. According to a Global Energy Monitor (GEM) report cited by OilPrice.com, roughly half of the new gas-fired power capacity under development is directly tied to data centers. The U.S. is now constructing around twice as much gas-fired capacity as China, with its total gas power capacity at any stage of development rising 50% since January 2026 to 378 gigawatts.

"If all of these projects are completed, the United States will increase its gas fleet by around two-thirds, at a capital cost of over $647 billion," the GEM report found. Jenny Martos, a project manager at Global Energy Monitor, stated, "There has been an enormous surge in data centre proposals powered by gas in the past year, and the climate implications of that are huge. Building all of this gas for AI locks in decades of pollution."

This demand surge coincides with a judicial ruling that blocked a Duke Energy gas power plant in North Carolina, as reported by OilPrice.com. While individual projects face regulatory hurdles, the broader national trend points to robust, long-term demand for natural gas.

For Bakken operators, the EIA's revised upward forecasts and the link between AI infrastructure and gas-fired generation signal sustained need for the region's gas output. The data underscores a national energy landscape where record production is required to meet both growing LNG export commitments and burgeoning domestic power demand, positioning Bakken gas as a key contributor to the U.S. supply stack through the end of the decade.