By Doug Kelly, CEO of American Edge Project
Just as America led the world in space exploration, the internet, and advanced computing, we now can lead in global energy innovation – and artificial intelligence (AI) is central to this goal. But to seize this pivotal moment, U.S. policymakers must act decisively now, embracing and investing in AI-driven solutions to secure America’s leadership in global energy innovation.
AI’s Important Role in Enhancing America’s Energy Security
AI is already making a significant impact across various energy sectors, providing solutions that enhance efficiency, accelerate innovation, and strengthen the nation’s energy infrastructure, including:
- Optimizing the Electrical Grid: AI improves the efficiency and reliability of the U.S. electrical grid by predicting and preventing potential issues, which enhances grid resilience and ensures consistent power delivery.
- Accelerating Clean Energy Permitting: Through initiatives like the Energy Department’s VoltAIc project, AI is streamlining the permitting process for clean energy infrastructure, reducing approval times, and accelerating the deployment of renewable energy projects.
- Enhancing Renewable Energy Forecasts: By increasing the accuracy of renewable energy production forecasts, AI is helping better integrate power sources like wind and solar into the grid, thus making the energy system more reliable and efficient.
- Supporting Advanced Energy Storage Solutions: AI plays a crucial role in developing energy storage technologies, which are essential for balancing supply and demand as the U.S. increases its reliance on renewable energy sources.
- Revolutionizing Fusion Energy: At Princeton’s Plasma Physics Laboratory, AI-driven models are transforming fusion energy research by preventing plasma instabilities and optimizing reactor designs, putting us decades closer to achieving grid-scale fusion energy—a virtually limitless and clean energy source.
Elements to Secure AI Leadership – and the Massive Return on Investment
AI’s role in accelerating America’s energy leadership is a testament to its broader potential. While questions about AI’s energy demands must be addressed, the reality is that AI is essential for our long-term energy security. It’s the catalyst that will allow us to outpace global competitors like China in the race for energy dominance.
To fully unlock AI’s potential and secure its extensive benefits, we must swiftly address critical needs: expanding energy sources, strengthening the power grid, and bolstering cyber protections for critical infrastructure against authoritarian threats such as China, Russia, and Iran.
Leading in AI also means prioritizing policies that support AI growth, including expanding investments in research and development (R&D), infrastructure, building deep talent pipelines, and fostering multiple approaches to AI, including open-source models, to keep America at the forefront of innovation while lowering barriers to access. Equally important is that policymakers must resist short-sighted legislation, like California’s SB 1047, that will stifle American AI innovation and hand an unearned competitive edge to China, which is spending billions to become the global AI leader by 2030.
The investments we make today in accelerating AI will not only bolster national security but also drive substantial economic growth. With global capital spending on the net-zero transition set to average $9.2 trillion annually through 2050, America’s leadership in energy technology is crucial for dominating the global clean energy market. This is more than just securing our energy needs—it’s about exporting innovation, capturing that economic value, creating new jobs, and solidifying U.S. leadership on the world stage.
The Tech Race is Ultimately About Values
But the leadership race with China is far more than just a competition of technology; ultimately, it’s a contest of values and vision. While China leverages technology for censorship and control, and wants to spread “digital authoritarianism” globally, America must advance a positive vision for AI—one that promotes innovation, freedom, and global prosperity—and ensures that the values embedded in American tech continue to shape and influence the global order.
America doesn’t have time to waste—the winner of the tech race will be decided in the next decade or less. The actions we take and the investments we make today will be deciding factors. The free world—and those aspiring to freedom—are counting on us to get it right and to win.