Microsoft is open to use natural gas for the AI ​​data centers to keep up with the demand

Houston – Microsoft CNBC told CNBC.

“It would absolutely no from the table,” said Bobbi Holis. But the executive power stated that Microsoft will consider natural gas with carbon capture only if the project “commercially viable and cost is competitive”.

Oil and gas companies develop Carbon capture technology For many years, but the industry has been fighting to launch it on a commercial scale of the high costs associated with such projects. The technology captures carbon dioxide emissions from industrial sites and stores them deep underground.

Microsoft has ambitious climate solutions, trying to match all electricity consumption through carbon energy by 2030. The technical company has purchased more than 30 renewable energy gigavat in search of this purpose. But the technological sector concluded that renewable energy sources are lacking to power the requirements for the power centers.

Last year, Microsoft appealed to the nuclear energy, signing a transaction to support the reboot on the island three miles through an electricity purchase agreement from the factory. But it is unlikely that the US will create a significant amount of additional incomprehensible force by the 2030s.

Data processing centers are increasingly considering natural gas as almost the diet, despite carbon dioxide emissions. The Trump administration is focused on increasing natural gas production. Energy Minister Chris Wright said on Monday that renewable power could not replace the role of gas in electricity production.

“We have always been aware that fossils would not disappear as fast as we all hoped,” Holis said. “Speaking, we knew that natural gas is even more what we see, especially for the AI ​​deployment.”

Exxon Mobil and Chevron have announced last December that they enter the data centers of data, planning to develop Natural gas plants with carbon capture technology. Chevron has concluded an agreement with the Gazaturbin GE Vernova manufacturer in January in the construction of gas plants for data centers “Flexibility for integration” of carbon and storage technology.

Holis refused to say whether Microsoft is talking to oil specialties. The executive power stated that the technology campaign “leads discussions on all these technologies”.

In January, President Donald Trump told the World Economic Forum that he would use emergency powers to accelerate the construction of power plants for data centers. Trump said data centers can use all the fuel they want. Chevron and Ge Vernova announced their plan for the construction of gas plants for data centers a few days after Trump’s comments.

“We are just glad to see that there is a focus on accelerating schedules to satisfy what we consider to be a rather critical need,” Holis said when asked about Trump’s administration plans.

But the deployment of natural gas faces its own problems. The cost of new natural gas plants has tripled, and the plant construction line continues until 2030, John Ketchum, CEO of Nextera said on Monday. Nextera is the largest renewable sources developer but also has gas assets.

“Renewable energy sources are ready to go now because they work and work,” Ketchum said at the conference. “It’s cheaper and it’s available right now that you already have a custom turbine or it’s already allowed.”

Ketchum said the nuclear language is unlikely to be a force decision by 2035. Nextera is considering restarting the nuclear plant Duane Arnold Arnold in Iowa.