By Senators Saxby Chambliss & Kent Conrad
China is building the power grid of the future. Meanwhile, America lags, slowed by regulations and permitting delays. Without a modern power grid, the U.S. risks falling behind China in a race that will define the next century of technological and economic growth.
Over the past decade, Beijing has aggressively expanded its energy capacity at a pace Washington has struggled to match. Over the last few years, China has added more than 11 times the generating capacity of the U.S. It has outpaced the U.S. in generating electricity for more than 14 consecutive years and is on track to add 60 percent additional capacity by 2040.
This divergence is no accident. China treats energy as a strategic national industrial project, while the U.S. relies on an aging grid pieced together over decades. China invests hundreds of billions of dollars more into its energy systems, including more than 18,000 miles of ultrahigh voltage transmission lines. Over the same time frame, the United States hasn’t built a single mile of comparable systems.
The contrast is stark. Chinese projects advance rapidly, while American projects await hearings, lawsuits, and delays. Today, approximately 12,000 energy projects in the U.S. remain stalled waiting for connection approvals.
This energy gap persists at a critical inflection point. The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution will require access to abundant energy. AI depends on large amounts of power to operate and improve its models. Without significant changes to our grid, American AI risks falling behind global competitors who enjoy more reliable and scalable power supplies.
Maintaining our leadership in AI will rely on a power system capable of supporting data centers, advanced manufacturing, and defense applications simultaneously. The nation that secures this advantage will shape global digital standards, command strategic supply chains, and secure a decisive edge in national security.
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