Jan 15 (Reuters) - U.S. power producer Talen Energy TLN.O said on Thursday it would buy about 2.6 gigawatts of natural gas-fired generation capacity from private equity firm Energy Capital Partners for $3.45 billion.

Talen shares surged 12% in premarket.

The deal underscores a broader push by U.S. power producers to scale up gas-fired generation as data center demand and electrification drive rising power consumption, particularly in PJM, the country's largest grid operator.

Talen's deal with Energy Capital includes the Waterford Energy Center and Darby Generating Station in Ohio, and the Lawrenceburg Power Plant in Indiana.

The power producer said the deal comprises about $2.55 billion in cash and roughly $900 million in stock.