Energy demand is entering a period of significant expansion as artificial intelligence, electrification, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and digital infrastructure require increasing amounts of power. The scale of that demand is prompting substantial investment in generation and transmission, while also raising a broader question about how the economic value created by an expanding energy system reaches the communities supplying its land, resources, labor, and infrastructure.
A 2026 analysis from Global Energy Monitor illustrates the scale of the emerging demand. Global gas-fired power capacity in development reached 1,047 gigawatts in 2025, while U.S. capacity in development reached 252 gigawatts. Additionally, more than one-third of U.S. gas capacity in development was intended to serve data centers directly or support anticipated AI-related electricity demand.
