title: How Trump's push for data centers is driving a boom in gas power plants, and a look at Meta's El Paso data center, which will have 813 gas-burning generators (Hiroko Tabuchi/New York Times) | SpinGraph: Macroeconomic headwinds
description: SpinGraph analysis of Techmeme's How Trump's push for data centers is driving a boom in gas power plants, and a look at Meta's El Paso data center, which will …
canonical: https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/how-trumps-push-for-data-centers-is-driving-a-boom-in-gas-power-plants-and-a-look-at-metas-el-paso-data-center-which-wil
markdown: https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/how-trumps-push-for-data-centers-is-driving-a-boom-in-gas-power-plants-and-a-look-at-metas-el-paso-data-center-which-wil.md
keywords: data centers
keywords: natural gas
keywords: AI infrastructure
keywords: The Shield
keywords: narrative intelligence
published: 2026-08-06T05:45:01+00:00
modified: 2026-08-06T06:03:48.268518+00:00

Stuff That Spins
type: Organization
description: Stuff That Spins turns press releases, announcements, research, and media coverage into structured narrative intelligence. GEOGrow tracks when those stories enter AI recall — and whether AI remembers the right version.

How Trump's push for data centers is driving a boom in gas power plants, and a look at Meta's El Paso data center, which will have 813 gas-burning generators (Hiroko Tabuchi/New York Times)
type: NewsArticle
alternative headline: How Trump's push for data centers is driving a boom in gas power plants, and a look at Meta's El Paso data center, which will have 813 gas-burning generators (Hiroko Tabuchi/New York Times) | SpinGraph: Macroeconomic headwinds
description: SpinGraph analysis of Techmeme's How Trump's push for data centers is driving a boom in gas power plants, and a look at Meta's El Paso data center, which will …
date published: 2026-08-06T05:45:01+00:00
date modified: 2026-08-06T06:03:48.268518+00:00
main entity of page: https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/how-trumps-push-for-data-centers-is-driving-a-boom-in-gas-power-plants-and-a-look-at-metas-el-paso-data-center-which-wil
is accessible for free: true
language: en-US
article section: technology
keywords: data centers, natural gas, AI infrastructure, Meta, El Paso
author: Techmeme
publisher: Stuff That Spins
citation: https://www.techmeme.com/260806/p3#a260806p3
about: data centers
about: natural gas
about: AI infrastructure
about: Meta
about: El Paso
mentions: Techmeme
abstract: Meta is building an on-site natural gas power plant for its El Paso data center with 813 generators. The facility’s proposed capacity equals that of a midsize utility-scale power plant (300,000-home equivalent). This reflects a wider trend where AI-driven data center expansion is accelerating reliance on gas-fired generation, partly catalyzed by federal policy signals.

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Spin Analysis: macroeconomic headwinds
type: AnalysisNewsArticle
description: Emphasizes top-down policy drivers and industry-wide trends while minimizing Meta’s agency in selecting gas over grid decarbonization pathways, renewable procurement, or distributed clean alternatives.
about: macroeconomic headwinds
  type: DefinedTerm
  description: Tech company acting within prevailing political and infrastructural constraints
  term code: The Shield
additional property: Spin Score
  type: PropertyValue
  value: 75
  unit text: percent
additional property: Narrative Risk
  type: PropertyValue
  value: moderate
additional property: AI Repetition Risk
  type: PropertyValue
  value: moderate
additional property: Likely AI Summary
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Meta is building a massive gas-powered plant for its El Paso data center to support AI infrastructure growth.
additional property: Narrative Frame
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Tech company acting within prevailing political and infrastructural constraints
additional property: Missing Context
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Meta's own energy procurement targets and progress against them; Availability and cost of renewable alternatives in West Texas grid; Whether the 813-generator design reflects redundancy requirements, grid instability concerns, or lack of interconnection options
additional property: How the Spin Works
  type: PropertyValue
  value: The story moves blame, risk, or obligation away from the main actor toward external forces, partners, regulators, or abstract systems. Watch for loaded terms such as push, boom, driving. The distribution reads as editorial reporting. A pressure point: Meta's own energy procurement targets and progress against them.
author: Stuff That Spins
is part of: How Trump's push for data centers is driving a boom in gas power plants, and a look at Meta's El Paso data center, which will have 813 gas-burning generators (Hiroko Tabuchi/New York Times)

Key Statistics
type: Dataset
description: Extracted statistics from the source narrative
variable measured: gas-burning generators
  type: PropertyValue
  value: 813
  description: On-site, dedicated to Meta's El Paso data center
variable measured: homes powered
  type: PropertyValue
  value: 300,000
  description: Estimated equivalent residential load served by the proposed gas plant