PA Holds the Key to America's Energy and AI Future
America stands on the brink of a new era of energy dominance, and the path runs straight through Pennsylvania. Strengthening our status as the world’s energy superpower means the nation needs abundant, affordable and reliable energy at a scale we have never seen. That will require a new chapter of investment, innovation and infrastructure.
This week, I’ll join President Trump, U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, and other industry leaders at the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University to discuss how the Keystone state can power the AI revolution.
It should be no surprise that the same state that paved the way for the shale revolution is emerging as a national leader in AI. Pennsylvania boasts vast natural gas reserves, favorable geology, a skilled workforce, and world-class research universities. This winning combination has made the state a cornerstone of American energy leadership.
Just 50 miles outside of Pittsburgh, plans are underway for the largest gas-powered power plant in the United States – designed to fuel new data centers. In June, Amazon dedicated $20 billion for new data centers in Luzerne and Bucks Counties to support cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Weeks later, Rhoads Industries announced a nearly $100 million investment to expand shipbuilding and manufacturing operations in Philadelphia.
These are exactly the kinds of transformative investments our country needs to remain prosperous and strong. And it’s not just new data centers driving demand. Over the past seven years, U.S. electricity consumption grew by just 2.5%. Over the next seven, it’s projected to soar by 25%. That means we must add about 1,000 terawatt-hours of additional electricity – roughly equivalent to all the power Japan produces in a year.
This is a monumental challenge – but one we can meet with American innovation and infrastructure. The U.S. is blessed with abundant energy resources. Western Pennsylvania alone produces enough natural gas to meet the entire energy needs of the United Kingdom.
In President Trump’s first six months, we’ve already made significant progress in unleashing those resources. With pro-growth tax policies, Congress and the administration have made it clear that energy development will not just be tolerated – it will be encouraged to secure America’s future.
But to deliver on that promise, Pennsylvania and other production regions need modern infrastructure to transport energy across the country and to allies abroad. That means cutting through the regulatory red tape that delays critical projects.
It took a single year to build the Empire State Building and five to construct the Hoover Dam. Today, a new project spends an average of three years trapped in National Environmental Policy Act reviews and paperwork before a single shovel even hits the ground.
This broken process is obstructing the new pipelines needed to transport the natural gas that will power AI data centers and fuel a manufacturing revival. We need export terminals – like the proposed one in Philadelphia – to send American liquefied natural gas to global markets. And we need to modernize the electric grid and expand transmission lines to keep up with explosive demand.
Permitting reform is the key pillar of an energy dominance agenda. It could be the deciding factor on whether America solidifies its position as the world’s energy superpower and leads the AI era – or whether we fall behind China and miss a historic opportunity.
Pennsylvania has already played a pivotal role in America’s energy renaissance. It helped elect leaders committed to developing our resources. Now, if we stay focused and continue building, the same state that powered the shale revolution can anchor a new era of American energy leadership – and reap the benefits for decades to come.
