BloombergNEF reported that the cost to build natural gas‑fired power plants in the United States rose 66% between 2023 and 2025, a jump that could push utility bills higher and strain the sector's ability to meet growing demand from data centers. The surge comes as data‑center operators and new manufacturing facilities drive a sharp uptick in electricity demand, prompting utilities to file for almost 24 gigawatts of gas‑fired capacity in 2025—an increase of 570% from 2023. The rush for new plants is also tightening the supply of skilled labor and pushing up the cost of turbine components. The average project cost for a combined‑cycle gas plant climbed to $2,157 per kilowatt, up from less than $1,500 in 2023. BNEF projects that data‑center‑driven demand will reach 106 gigawatts by 2035. The time required to bring a plant online rose 23% over the same period. Katrina White, a clean‑energy analyst, said during a presentation Tuesday at the BNEF Summit New York: "It won't be smooth sailing." She cited political, bureaucratic and financial roadblocks causing a supply crunch. Meanwhile, a head of a natural gas producer described the demand as the energy equivalent of 20 New York Cities. The turbine maker GE Vernova Inc. saw its quarterly orders top last year's total, lifting its shares. When a regulated utility builds a power plant, it passes the cost onto existing customers. More expensive power plants will likely mean higher utility bills for homes and small businesses. Some tech companies have pledged to make sure their data centers don't drive up bills for other customers, but the issue has become a political flashpoint heading into the US midterm elections. US utilities filed for almost 24 gigawatts of gas-fired power capacity with state commissions in 2025, up 570% since 2023, as they turn to gas to replace retiring generation and meet the new US demand, according to BNEF. A gigawatt is roughly the output of a large nuclear reactor and can power about 750,000 homes. With construction costs and lead times climbing, utilities and developers will need to balance the urgency of meeting data‑center demand against the risk of higher consumer bills. If the supply crunch persists, the sector may look to alternative technologies or accelerated permitting to keep pace.