内容来源：https://www.theverge.com/news/870422/data-center-ai-gas-power-surge

内容总结：

全球正迎来新一轮天然气发电厂建设热潮，其中美国引领了这波增长。这主要源于数据中心，特别是人工智能（AI）数据中心激增的电力需求。非营利机构“全球能源监测”的最新分析显示，全球在建天然气发电能力在2025年增长了31%，其中近四分之一新增产能位于美国，使其增幅超越中国位居全球首位。在美国，超过三分之一的增长预计将直接用于满足数据中心的用电需求。

这股建设浪潮引发了气候担忧。为AI数据中心配备更强大硬件导致电力需求预测飙升，进而推动天然气项目激增。然而，若预期的AI电力需求未能实现，这些新建的天然气设施不仅可能成为闲置资产，还将长期“锁定”大量温室气体排放，阻碍向清洁能源的转型。

尽管天然气比煤炭廉价且燃烧时碳排放较低，但其生产过程中会释放甲烷——一种短期温室效应远强于二氧化碳的气体。大规模转向天然气发电，与国际社会在《巴黎协定》中设定的减排目标背道而驰。该协定要求各国用可再生能源等清洁能源替代化石燃料，并在2050年左右实现净零排放。

然而现实趋势与此相悖。美国作为全球最大的天然气生产国和数据中心集中地，其天然气发电能力在去年几乎翻了三倍。前总统特朗普执政期间，美国退出了《巴黎协定》，其政策倾向于压制气候变化研究、放松排放管控，并着力维护油气煤炭产业。其提出的“AI行动计划”更明确优先为数据中心快速扩建化石燃料基础设施。数据显示，2025年美国温室气体排放量在拜登政府两年下降后再度增长，而2026年天然气发电产能预计将创下历史新高，甚至超过本世纪初“页岩气革命”时期的纪录。这标志着全球能源转型正面临新的挑战。

中文翻译：

美国正引领全球新建天然气发电厂的浪潮，这主要是为了满足数据中心日益增长的能源需求。而更多的天然气意味着更多导致地球升温的污染。

数据中心推动天然气产业迎来新热潮

人工智能数据中心正推动天然气项目激增。全球在建的天然气发电量在2025年增长了31%，其中近四分之一的新增产能位于美国——该国以超越中国的增幅成为全球增长最快的国家。非营利组织"全球能源监测"近期分析指出，美国超过三分之一的增长预计将直接用于数据中心供电。

更多天然气意味着更多导致地球升温的污染

为满足生成式人工智能需求，数据中心正加速部署更强大的硬件设备，这导致电力需求预测急剧上升。虽然人工智能能否如科技公司所愿深度融入日常生活仍存变数，许多规划中的数据中心也可能未能落地，但以人工智能之名扩建天然气电厂的计划，正在阻碍向清洁能源转型的进程。

全球能源监测组织石油与天然气电厂追踪项目负责人珍妮·马尔托斯在新闻稿中警告："如果预期的AI电力需求未能实现，这些产能可能锁定未来排放，最终成为搁浅资产。"

2026年已注定成为天然气行业破纪录之年。若今年所有拟建项目全部完工，新增产能将超越2002年创下的历史峰值。这尤其值得关注，因为本世纪初美国曾掀起"页岩气革命"，通过水力压裂技术释放了难以开采的储量。如今天然气虽比煤炭更廉价、燃烧碳排放更低，但其开采过程会释放甲烷——这种温室气体虽在大气中存留时间较短，但增温效应远超二氧化碳。

扩大天然气发电规模也与全球气候目标背道而驰。十年前，包括中美两大温室气体排放在内的全球各国签署了具有历史意义的《巴黎协定》。要实现该协定设定的最雄心勃勃的目标，唯一途径是以可再生能源等清洁替代品取代化石燃料，并在2050年左右将温室气体排放削减至净零。

然而前总统特朗普已让美国退出《巴黎协定》，2025年美国温室气体排放量在拜登政府两年下降后再度反弹。根据全球能源监测报告，这个全球最大天然气生产国和数据中心拥有国，去年在建天然气产能几乎增长了两倍。特朗普政府持续压制气候变化研究、限制温室气体管控措施，转而巩固石油、天然气和煤炭的依赖地位。其"人工智能行动计划"更将加速建设数据中心化石燃料基础设施置于优先位置。

英文来源：

The US is now leading a global surge in new gas power plants being built in large part to satisfy growing energy demand for data centers. And more gas means more planet-heating pollution.
It’s a new heyday for gas thanks to data centers
AI data centers are driving a surge in new gas projects.
AI data centers are driving a surge in new gas projects.
Gas-fired power generation in development globally rose by 31 percent in 2025. Almost a quarter of that added capacity is slated for the US, which has surpassed China with the biggest increase of any country. More than a third of that growth in the US is expected to directly power data centers, according to a recent analysis by the nonprofit Global Energy Monitor (GEM).
More gas means more planet-heating pollution
The rush to install more powerful hardware into expanding data centers used for generative AI has led to forecasts of skyrocketing power demand. There’s still a lot of uncertainty about whether AI will become as ingrained in everyday life as tech companies might like, and many proposed data centers could fall flat. Even so, plans to build out more gas plants in the name of AI are stalling efforts to transition to cleaner energy sources.
“There is a risk that this capacity could lock in future emissions and become stranded assets if anticipated electricity demand from AI never materializes,” Jenny Martos, project manager for GEM’s Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker, said in a press release.
Already, 2026 is shaping up to be a record-smashing year for gas. If all of this year’s proposed projects cross the finish line, it would be an even bigger jump in added capacity than the record set in 2002. That’s pretty remarkable considering the 2000s ushered in America’s so-called “shale gas revolution,” when fracking suddenly unleashed previously hard-to-reach reserves. Gas is now a cheaper power source than coal and creates less carbon pollution when burned. But gas production releases methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide even though it doesn’t persist in the atmosphere for as long.
Ramping up electricity generation from gas is also a sharp pivot away from global climate goals. A decade ago, nearly every country on Earth — including its two biggest greenhouse gas polluters, China and the US — signed a historic deal in Paris to limit global warming. The only way to achieve the most ambitious goals set out in the Paris agreement would be to replace fossil fuels with less-polluting alternatives like renewable energy and slash greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by around 2050.
But President Donald Trump has pulled the US out of the Paris agreement and in 2025, US greenhouse gas emissions grew after falling for two years during the Biden administration. The US, the world’s leading gas producer and the country with the most data centers, almost tripled the amount of gas-fired capacity it had in development last year, according to the GEM report. Trump has worked to suppress research on climate change and efforts to rein in greenhouse gas pollution in favor of entrenching oil, gas, and coal reliance. His “AI Action Plan” prioritizes speeding the building out of new fossil fuel infrastructure for data centers.