# Planned US gas capacity through 2030 rose 49% in EIA filings, to 60 GW

> EIA generator filings split the jump by plant type: combined-cycle plants added the most, and Texas filed a third of it.

Tec N Trend data brief · 2026-10-07 · https://tecntrend.com/briefs/2026-10-07/gas-plants

Electrek, citing an Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group analysis, says planned US gas capacity through 2030 reached 60.4 GW, up 44% from 41.8 GW in December 2025, with data centers driving demand.

We re-ran the EIA's own monthly generator inventory. Net summer capacity of planned gas units due by 2030 went from 40.4 GW in the December 2025 file to 60.2 GW in the August 2026 file, a 49% rise. Combined-cycle plants grew from 27.2 to 40.4 GW and combustion turbines from 12.9 to 18.9 GW. Texas holds about 20 GW of the August total.

These are plans, not builds: units can slip or be cancelled, and the EIA list leaves out off-grid gas plants built directly for data centers. Watch the next release on October 23 to see if the climb continues.

## Key numbers
- Planned gas through 2030, Dec 2025 file: 40.4 GW
- Planned gas through 2030, Aug 2026 file: 60.2 GW (+49%)
- Combined-cycle plants, Dec 2025 to Aug 2026: 27.2 to 40.4 GW
- Texas share of Aug 2026 total: 33% (20.0 GW)

## Chart: Planned US gas capacity due by 2030, two EIA snapshots
Data: https://tecntrend.com/briefs/2026-10-07/gas-plants.json

## Sources
- [EIA Form 860M, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (Planned sheet), December 2025 and August 2026 files](https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia860m/) (public domain (US government), captured 2026-10-07)
- [Electrek on Environment America / Frontier Group analysis](https://electrek.co/2026/10/06/us-gas-plant-plans-jump-44-in-just-8-months-heres-why/) (news report, figures quoted not reproduced, captured 2026-10-07)
- News: [US gas plant plans jump 44% in just 8 months – here’s why](https://electrek.co/2026/10/06/us-gas-plant-plans-jump-44-in-just-8-months-heres-why/) (Electrek, 2026-10-06)

## Caveats
- Our 60.2 GW (August 2026 file, net summer MW, planned operation year 2030 or earlier, technology 'Natural Gas ...') matches the article's 60.4 GW and its state shares (Texas 33%, Louisiana 6.6 GW, Pennsylvania 4.4 GW). The December 2025 baseline differs: we get 40.4 GW against the article's 41.8 GW, so our rise is 49% versus the article's 44%. The source of the gap was not identified.
- Planned capacity includes projects at every stage, from approvals not yet sought to construction complete; Dec-to-Aug changes also reflect projects that came online or were cancelled in between.
- The EIA 860M preliminary inventory excludes off-grid and behind-the-meter plants for data centers.
- Gas groups: combined cycle, combustion turbine, and a small 'engines and steam' group (internal combustion engines plus steam turbines). Nameplate capacity gives 44.8 and 65.3 GW instead (+46%).