Every three months, Jon Rea gets an up-close look at the possible future of the grid, and lately he’s seeing a lot more natural gas.

Rea, a senior associate with the nonprofit RMI, analyzes the latest plans put out by U.S. electricity utilities for meeting projected demand over the coming decades.

His most recent review of all 128 plans found that utilities were looking to build twice as much natural gas capacity as they had anticipated just 18 months earlier.

The main reason for this shift: Utilities are rushing to accommodate the electricity needs of data centers, and projections of those needs keep rising. It’s a troubling trend for anyone concerned about the costs for ratepayers and the effects on the climate.

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