← All storiesTechnologyDeveloping story

AI companies are building huge natural gas plants to power data centers. What could go wrong? | TechCrunch

Last day to exhibit your breakthrough to 10,000+ tech leaders at Disrupt is on Oct 2. Book Exhibit Table Now. Disrupt doors open Oct. 13. Get your pass and bring someone with you at 50% off. REGISTER NOW. Who doesn’t love a good round of FOMO? From dot-com to Web 2.0, virtual reality to blockchain, the tech industry has had its share of being too afraid to miss out on a trend. The AI bubble is the big daddy of them all. Its first offspring — the rush to lock down power for data centers — is now begetting a mad dash to secure natural gas supplies and equipment. If FOMOs could have babies, then the AI bubble is already having grandkids. Microsoft said on Tuesday that it’s working with Chevron and Engine No. 1 to build a natural gas power plant in West Texas that could grow to produce 5 gigawatts of electricity. This week Google confirmed that it’s working with Crusoe to build a 933 MW natural gas power plant in North Texas. And last week, Meta announced that it was adding another seven natural gas power plants to its Hyperion data center in Louisiana, bringing the site to 7.46 GW of capacity — enough to power the entire state of South Dakota. The recent investments are concentrated i

2
updates in timeline
2
distinct sources
3 weeks
story span
Apr 22, 2026
latest update

Apr 3, 2026 → Apr 22, 2026

LATEST DEVELOPMENT
Apr 22, 2026·The Next WebT2 · Outlet report
SpaceX S-1 warns orbital AI data centres may not be viable, months after Musk called space-based AI a no-brainer

This article was published on April 22, 2026 Summary: SpaceX’s confidential S-1 pre-IPO filing warns that its orbital AI data centre plans “involve significant technical complexity and unproven technologies, and may not achieve commercial…

Read original at The Next Web →
ACTIVITY · UPDATES PER MONTH
Apr 26

2 updates from 2 sources over 3 weeks.

Showing 2 of 2 updates

Timeline (2 updates)

April 2026

2 updates
Apr 22, 2026·The Next WebT2 · Outlet reportLATEST
SpaceX S-1 warns orbital AI data centres may not be viable, months after Musk called space-based AI a no-brainer

This article was published on April 22, 2026 Summary: SpaceX’s confidential S-1 pre-IPO filing warns that its orbital AI data centre plans “involve significant technical complexity and unproven technologies, and may not…

Read original at The Next Web →
Apr 3, 2026·TechCrunchT2 · Outlet reportOPENING
AI companies are building huge natural gas plants to power data centers. What could go wrong? | TechCrunch

Last day to exhibit your breakthrough to 10,000+ tech leaders at Disrupt is on Oct 2. Book Exhibit Table Now. Disrupt doors open Oct. 13. Get your pass and bring someone with you at 50% off. REGISTER NOW. Who doesn’t…

Read original at TechCrunch →

Sources & evidence (2)

What this story stands on. Tier 0 is a primary record or the subject's own words; higher tiers must be attributed, never stated as bare fact.

T2 · Outlet report× 2
COVERAGE BY SOURCE
TechCrunch 1The Next Web 1
STRONGEST EVIDENCE
T2 · Outlet reportThe Next WebApr 22, 2026

This article was published on April 22, 2026 Summary: SpaceX’s confidential S-1 pre-IPO filing warns that its orbital AI data centre plans “involve significant technical complexity and unproven technologies, and may not achieve commercial…

View source →
T2 · Outlet reportTechCrunchApr 3, 2026

Last day to exhibit your breakthrough to 10,000+ tech leaders at Disrupt is on Oct 2. Book Exhibit Table Now. Disrupt doors open Oct. 13. Get your pass and bring someone with you at 50% off. REGISTER NOW. Who doesn’t love a good round of…

View source →

Tier key: T0 = Primary source · T1 = Wire · T2 = Outlet report · T3 = Commentary

Related stories

TechnologyT2 · Outlet report

US supreme court rejects Republican-drawn midterm map in Missouri for third time – as it happened

Long-running fight over Trump-backed maps takes another turn as absentee voting is already under way in Missouri. This blog is now closed. Sign up for US Breaking News emails Xi…

13 updates3 sources9 days long
Sep 26, 2026 → Oct 5, 2026
Latest: Trump Hits Campaign Trail as GOP Support Slips · Bloomberg
TechnologyT2 · Outlet report

Trump unveils his new Super Intelligence Force

This new task force is Trump's latest response to the debate over AI safety.

3 updates3 sources1 day long
Oct 4, 2026 → Oct 5, 2026
Latest: Trump unveils 'Super Intelligence Force' to oversee AI policy · BBC
TechnologyT2 · Outlet report

Can ‘super intelligence’ and a non-binding safety pact solve AI’s image problem?

On Equity, we discussed the Trump administration's attempts to rebrand AI.

1 update1 source
Oct 4, 2026
Latest: Can ‘super intelligence’ and a non-binding safety pact solve AI’s image problem? · TechCrunch
PoliticsT2 · Outlet report

Trump Set to Name Jay Clayton as AI Czar With Safety Fear Rising

President Donald Trump is expected to name US Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as his next artificial intelligence czar, according to a person familiar with the…

4 updates3 sources2 days long
Oct 2, 2026 → Oct 4, 2026
Latest: Trump names four officials to lead his Super Intelligence Force · The Next Web
TechnologyT2 · Outlet report

Gavin Newsom signs laws to protect California workers from AI threat

Democratic governor sharply critical of Donald Trump for not passing comprehensive federal AI regulations Governor Gavin Newsom signed laws Wednesday aimed at protecting…

3 updates2 sources2 days long
Oct 1, 2026 → Oct 2, 2026
Latest: California Sues to Block Trump From Weakening Fuel Economy Rules · NYT
PoliticsT2 · Outlet report

Trump Says Powell Should Be Forced to Resign From Fed Board

President Donald Trump said former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell should resign from the central bank’s Board of Governors over findings the central bank mismanaged the…

3 updates1 source2 days long
Sep 30, 2026 → Oct 2, 2026
Latest: Trump: Won’t Do Diesel Export Ban · Bloomberg