Trump establishes Energy Council to meet growing AI power demands

Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced the creation of a new Energy Council to address the country’s increasing electricity needs, particularly in response to the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI). The initiative aims to solidify the U.S.’s position in its ongoing AI competition with China.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Trump emphasised the importance of energy independence. “We’re going to be energy dominant like nobody else, and this doesn’t even cover all the electricity we’re going to be producing for all the AI plants,” he stated. “They need at least double the electricity we have right now.”

Doug Burgum, the Secretary of the Interior, echoed Trump’s concerns. “The U.S. is in an AI arms race with China. The only way we win is with more electricity,” he said.

Addressing Power Shortages

The Energy Council will coordinate efforts across federal agencies to streamline energy production, permitting, and distribution. This move comes as part of Trump’s broader push to increase domestic oil and gas output, aligning with his campaign slogan, “drill, baby, drill.” The administration aims to boost energy production while rolling back restrictions imposed by the previous government on carbon emissions and climate policies.

With AI data centres consuming vast amounts of power, U.S. energy infrastructure is struggling to keep up. Chronic underinvestment, ageing nuclear plants going offline, and increasing demand from AI companies have put the grid under immense strain.

Big Tech Lobbying for More Power

Technology companies have been pressing the administration for urgent action, as AI training and processing require substantial energy resources. Experts predict that by 2028, the AI industry’s power needs could reach five gigawatts—enough to supply electricity to approximately five million homes.

The Trump administration’s focus on energy expansion is also seen as a strategy to counter potential economic pressures from trade wars. If energy imports are affected by tariffs, domestic energy production could help stabilise prices.