Anthropic warns natural gas supply poses major business risk

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 27 Oct, 18:32 · Archive

AI company Anthropic has identified natural gas supply as a significant near-term risk as data centres increasingly rely on fossil fuels.

Anthropic has identified natural gas supply as a significant near-term risk in documents filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission as the company prepares to go public. The AI company is relying on natural gas-burning turbine generators to power its data centres rather than waiting for connections to an already strained electrical grid.

Many AI companies and data centre operators are adopting this approach to avoid lengthy delays in grid connections. Energy analyst Cleanview estimates that behind-the-meter gas projects in development as of October 2026 totalled 110 gigawatts, up from 20 gigawatts in July 2025. BloombergNEF estimates that grid-connected data centres alone could add an additional 15 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas demand by 2035, a 15 per cent increase in overall demand.

Anthropric warned that competition from other natural gas-fired data centres could leave it exposed to 'fuel price volatility and supply disruptions that are outside of our control'. The company said this competition 'could drive up the price of natural gas'. The surge in demand for gas comes as US export terminals are already sending more gas abroad for geopolitical reasons, with export demand expected to double over the next decade.

How it is being reported

• Anthropic Flags Gas Supply as One of Its Biggest Near-Term RisksThe data center buildout could cause a massive increase in gas prices as companies scramble for limited supplies and infrastructure fails to meet demand.Wired · 27 Oct, 18:20
• Anthropic says it will be burning lots of natural gas to feed the AI boomAnthropic is stuck with the rising costs associated fossil fuels and climate change.TechRadar · 27 Oct, 18:05

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