Trump Establishes Energy Council to Power AI Race Against China
The AI industry’s growing electricity needs are placing unprecedented strain on the country’s aging power grid.
US President Donald Trump has launched a new energy council to address soaring electricity demands, reinforcing America’s position in the artificial intelligence competition with China.
“We’re going to be energy dominant like nobody else, and this is just the beginning,” Trump declared while signing the executive order. “AI plants will need at least double the electricity we currently have.”
Doug Burgum, Trump’s Secretary of the Interior, echoed this sentiment: “The US is in an AI arms race with China. The only way we win is by ramping up electricity production.”
According to the White House, the newly formed council will coordinate energy policies across federal agencies, expediting the permitting, production, and distribution of energy resources.
The initiative aligns with Trump’s campaign pledge to expand domestic oil and gas production, reversing climate-focused policies from the Biden administration.
The AI industry’s growing electricity needs are placing unprecedented strain on the country’s aging power grid.
Chronic underinvestment and the retirement of nuclear plants have only worsened the situation.
Tech executives have been pressing the administration to prioritize power supply to sustain AI growth.
Officials project that by 2028, AI training could require as much as five gigawatts of electricity—enough to power five million homes.
Trump’s energy strategy aims to ensure the US meets this demand and maintains its edge in the AI race.