During a virtual speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that his government has plans to promote the approval process for AI companies who are looking to build power plants for their data centres in the U.S.
This action aims to address the expanding energy demands of AI systems and further ensures that the U.S. remains competitive with China in the technological race. The core idea behind Trump’s plan is to build new power plants adjacent to data centres, creating self-sufficient facilities instead of relying on the national grid.
This idea is already being noted by major energy companies like Chevron and Exxon, who are seeking the ways to meet the increasing power demands of the tech industry. According to the reports, As data centres at the present consumes as much energy as small cities, the surge in AI usage is expected to further escalate this demand.
Trump’s statement underscores the urgency of securing sufficient power to support the AI boom, particularly as competition with China intensifies. His plan includes drawing a national energy emergency declaration to streamline the construction of fossil-fuel-powered plants that would directly serve AI data centres.
This aims to reduce the lengthy approval times typically associated with building new power plants, allowing AI companies to scale up operations more quickly. Trump also highlighted that the U.S. would need to double its current energy capacity to fully harness AI’s potential, which is necessary for maintaining a leadership position in the global tech arena.
Trump expressed his desire for power plants to connect directly to data centres rather than relying on the outdated grid. He stated, “You don’t have to hook into the grid, which is old and could be taken out.”
Trump’s proposal to accelerate power plant construction aims to ensure that AI companies have the necessary resources to expand rapidly. However, As AI increasingly becomes important in the economy, having a reliable energy supply will be crucial for the U.S. to maintain its position as a leader in the global AI race.
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