Dominating AI: Trump's strategy to power US growth with industrial energy expansion
Washington: US President Donald Trump said the United States is allowing private companies to build their own power plants to meet what he described as a massive surge in electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence and data centre expansion.
In an interview with Fox Business host Larry Kudlow, Trump said AI infrastructure requires unprecedented energy capacity, far beyond what the current national grid can support.
“AI, for whatever reason, needs massive amounts of electricity, right? More electricity than the entire country produces right now by double,” Trump said.
He added that the national grid cannot be rebuilt overnight, prompting his administration to permit companies constructing large facilities, including data centres and manufacturing plants, to generate their own electricity.
“I’m letting everybody who builds a plant build their own electric plant,” he said. “They’re gonna become like a utility,” he said.
Trump said developers are setting up independent power systems to run their operations, with any surplus electricity sold back to the grid. “Anything they have left over, they’ll sell it into the grid,” he said.
Energy sources would vary based on project needs, including nuclear, oil and gas, and coal as backup options, Trump added.
He also claimed the US is leading the global AI race. “We are dominating everybody in the AI,” Trump said.
Linking artificial intelligence growth to broader industrial expansion, Trump said large-scale factory and infrastructure construction is underway nationwide. “We have $18 trillion invested in this country. Nobody’s ever had anything like it,” he said, adding that the US is building a record number of plants and factories.
Trump has consistently linked manufacturing, energy production and technology development in his economic messaging, arguing that domestic production reduces reliance on foreign supply chains.
AI infrastructure, including data centres and semiconductor fabrication facilities, is expected to significantly increase electricity demand over the next decade. Governments worldwide are assessing grid upgrades, nuclear power expansion and renewable energy deployment to support AI-driven growth.
India is also expanding its AI and semiconductor ecosystem, with policymakers closely tracking global models to power large-scale digital infrastructure while balancing energy security, climate goals and industrial competitiveness.
IANS