‘This Is The Test’: Energy Experts Say America Must Ramp Up Power To Win The Global AI Race
ijr.com Sep 18, 2026

‘This Is The Test’: Energy Experts Say America Must Ramp Up Power To Win The Global AI Race

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Energy and industry leaders warned that the United States risks losing the artificial‑intelligence race if it cannot expand its power supply. At a Daily Caller Live event, Christopher Johnson of the American Energy Leadership Institute and Mark Bednar of Monument Advocacy argued that without a massive build‑out of reliable, clean electricity and domestic data‑center capacity, AI workloads will shift to China, where coal‑fired plants are proliferating. China is constructing 94.5 GW of new coal capacity in 2024, accounting for 93 % of global coal starts, according to a Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air report. U.S. data centers used 4.4 % of national electricity in 2023 and could consume up to 12 % by 2028, per a DOE study, underscoring the urgency of expanding domestic energy infrastructure to support AI, manufacturing and climate goals.

💡 Why It Matters

  • · Without a domestic power surge, the U.S.
  • · could cede critical AI and high‑tech manufacturing to rivals whose energy mix is far more carbon‑intensive.