Baker Hughes sees no slowdown in energy projects despite higher rates as AI buildouts stoke LNG demand

Lorenzo Simonelli, CEO of Baker Hughes, speaks during an interview with CNBC on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 4, 2025. Jeenah Moon | ReutersBaker Hughes has yet to see higher borrowing costs slow investment in major energy projects, with its chief executive pointing to robust demand for natural gas and power from the global buildout of artificial intelligence infrastructure."We haven't seen a slowdown, and the bankability is really based on the offtake agreements that are in place, as well as the outlook of energy demand," Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Simonelli told CNBC at the Gastech conference in Bangkok.Financing remains an important consideration for projects, Simonelli said, but rising energy needs from population growth, industry and data centers continue to underpin investment."Energy demand is not necessarily going to slow down with the increasing population, with the increasing linkage between industrial outcomes of data centers and AI, it's intrinsically linked with energy supply and energy sources," he said. "So we haven't seen that as of yet, and we continue to monitor it."Simonelli's comments come as the Iran war has dis...