Texas $16 Billion Gas Plant Targets AI Data Centers Amid Japan-Backed LNG Push

A $16 billion gas-fired power plant in Anderson County, Texas, is progressing through permitting after being unveiled as part of a U.S.-Japan trade agreement. Comstock Resources, whose largest shareholder is Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, has teamed with NextEra Energy to build up to 5.2 GW of capacity aimed primarily at AI data centers and heavy manufacturing. Japanese capital from the trade deal is financing the project, while Mitsui, a Japanese trading house, is locking in equity and offtake agreements for LNG from the Middle East, Australia and the United States to power Japan’s AI data-center buildout.

Analysts calculate that domestic AI demand will require roughly 4 Bcf/d of gas by 2030, whereas new LNG export capacity is projected to consume an additional 11-12 Bcf/d, giving foreign buyers contractual priority. Production in the Haynesville shale is rising about 1.3 Bcf/d, and total U.S. gas output is on track for a record 122.5 Bcf/d, currently sufficient but dependent on continued pipeline and drilling growth. If supply or infrastructure lags, Texas and Washington regulators could face policy conflicts over allocating gas between export contracts and domestic AI users.