U.S. natural gas infrastructure seen benefiting despite AI uncertainty

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Highlights

Bloomberg Intelligence forecasts U.S. data-center natural gas demand rising from 2.8 Bcf/d in 2025 to 8 Bcf/d by 2030, supporting infrastructure investment.
Even with 25% lower AI-related demand due to political resistance, 2030 data-center gas demand would still increase 114% from 2025, reaching 6 Bcf/d.
Wells Fargo projects total U.S. natural gas demand to reach 141.1 Bcf/d by 2030, supporting the bullish case for AMLP, which yields 7.54% and recently pulled back.

Demand outlook supports pipeline investment case

As reported by Weiss Ratings, the investment case for natural gas infrastructure remains intact even if opposition to data-center projects slows part of the expected AI buildout. The commentary says Bloomberg Intelligence estimates U.S. data centers are poised to consume about 8 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day by 2030, up from roughly 2.8 Bcf/d in 2025.

The analysis argues that natural gas keeps an advantage over several competing power sources because it can provide reliable electricity with established technology, while solar and wind output varies and new nuclear projects take years to develop. It also notes some data-center operators are installing their own natural gas generation to avoid delays tied to new grid connections.

The article says local election results show growing resistance to data-center development, with concerns centered on power use, water consumption and noise. Even under a scenario where political opposition cuts Bloomberg Intelligence's projected 2030 data-center gas demand by 25%, the commentary calculates demand would still reach 6 Bcf/d, which would represent a 114% increase from 2025 levels.

Broader energy growth underpins AMLP recommendation

The bullish view extends beyond AI-linked demand. Citing Wells Fargo, the commentary says total U.S. natural gas demand is projected to rise 37% to 141.1 Bcf/d by 2030, with LNG export demand forecast to increase 60% over the same period and other end uses also contributing to growth.

Against that backdrop, Weiss Ratings presents the Alerian MLP ETF, or AMLP, as a way to gain exposure to energy infrastructure rather than directly to AI. The fund holds master limited partnerships that own pipelines, storage assets and processing facilities, including Enterprise Products Partners, MPLX and Energy Transfer.

The article describes those businesses as fee-based operators that can produce cash flow even when commodity prices fluctuate. It also highlights AMLP's recent pullback as a potential entry point and points to a recent quarterly distribution yield of 7.54% as part of the fund's appeal for income-focused investors.

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