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Donald Trump’s choice for secretary of the interior has warned that the United States will lose the “AI arms race” to China unless it increases electricity generation from fossil fuels and stabilizes its power grid.
Doug BurgumThe billionaire businessman and former governor of North Dakota told US senators on Thursday that the country has an “electricity crisis” due to grid failures and “roadblocks” preventing companies from building fossil fuel plants that supply around the clock. Power.
He added that the Trump administration would set aside more public land for oil drilling and cut tax breaks to support renewable companies that produce “intermittent and unreliable energy.”
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Burgum said, “The sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow,” adding that the balance is “out of whack.”
Demand for electricity is growing at an unprecedented rate in the US, which is driving the demand for artificial intelligence processing in data centers – which in 2016 Department of Energy In the next three years, forecasts will triple.
“Without a starting payload, we lose the AI arms race with China, and if we lose the AI arms race to China, that has a direct impact on our national security,” Burgum said.
“Right now, we’re at a stage where we’re putting barriers in the way of people who want to do baseload[electricity]and we’ve got a huge tax incentive for people who can’t afford the constant, unreliable.”
Bergham, who endorsed Trump after ending his own 2024 presidential bid, is also said to lead the National Energy Council. If Trump is confirmed as the “energy czar,” he will have the power to push “build, baby, drill” through the president-elect’s vision.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to open up federal land for AI infrastructure aimed at moving power from clean electricity sources — part of the Democratic leader’s efforts to curb emissions and combat climate change.
Burgum said new technologies such as carbon capture storage could eliminate the emissions produced by fossil fuels — although there are questions about the technology’s commercial and technical feasibility.
The former governor added that limiting US fossil fuel production would do no environmental good as unscrupulous governments would fill the supply gap.
“America produces cleaner, smarter and safer energy than anywhere else in the world,” he said. “Cutting energy production in the U.S. doesn’t reduce demand, it shifts production to countries like Russia, Venezuela, and Iran — whose ruling leaders don’t care about the environment.”
The US has already Increase in natural gas-fired power plants As many as 80 utilities are expected to come online by 2030 to boost baseload power, Inverse reports.
Biden’s landmark climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act, offshore oil and gas lease sales are tied to new offshore wind leases. Asked if he expects offshore wind projects in development, Burgum declined to comment.
Trump has promised to stop offshore wind projects “one day”.
