Trump plans executive orders to power AI growth in race with China

CNBC

2 days ago

The Trump administration is readying a package of executive actions aimed at boosting energy supply to power the U.S. expansion of artificial intelligence, according to four sources familiar with the planning.
Top economic rivals U.S. and China are locked in a technological arms race, and with it secure an economic and military edge. The huge amount of data processing behind AI requires a rapid increase in power supplies that are straining utilities and grids in many states.
The moves under consideration include making it easier for power-generating projects to connect to the grid, and providing federal land on which to build the data centers needed to expand AI technology, according to the sources.
The administration will also release an AI action plan and schedule public events to draw public attention to the efforts, according to the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Training large-scale AI models requires a huge amount of electricity, and the industry's growth is driving the first big increase in U.S. power demand in decades.
Between 2024 and 2029, U.S. electricity demand is projected to grow at five times the rate predicted in 2022, according to power-sector consultancy Grid Strategies.
Meanwhile, power demand from AI data centers could grow more than thirtyfold by 2035, according to a new report by consultancy Deloitte.
Building and connecting new power generation to the grid, however, has been a major hurdle because such projects require extensive impact studies that can take years to complete, and existing transmission infrastructure is overwhelmed.
Among the ideas under consideration by the administration is to identify more fully developed power projects and move them higher on the waiting list for connection, two of the sources said.
Siting data centers has also been challenging because larger facilities require a lot of space and resources, and can face zoning obstacles or public opposition.
The executive orders could provide a solution to that by offering land managed by the Defense Department or the Interior Department to project developers, the sources said.
The administration is also considering streamlining permitting for data centers by creating a nationwide Clean Water Act permit, rather than requiring companies to seek permits on a state-by-state basis, according to one of the sources.
In January, Trump hosted top tech CEOs at the White House to highlight the Stargate Project, a multi-billion-dollar effort led by ChatGPT's creator OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle to build data centers and create more than 100,000 jobs in the U.S.
Trump has prioritized winning the AI race against China and declared on his first day in office a national energy emergency aimed at removing all regulatory obstacles to oil and gas drilling, coal and critical mineral mining, and building new gas and nuclear power plants to bring more energy capacity online.
He also ordered his administration in January to produce an AI Action Plan that would make "America the world capital in artificial intelligence" and reduce regulatory barriers to its rapid expansion.
That report, which includes input from the National Security Council, is due by July 23. The White House is considering making July 23 "AI Action Day" to draw attention to the report and demonstrate its commitment to expanding the industry, two of the sources said.
Trump is scheduled to speak at an AI and energy event in Pennsylvania on July 15, hosted by Senator Dave McCormick.
Amazon earlier this month announced it would invest $20 billion in data centers in two Pennsylvania counties.