Energy secretary and tech, utility leaders urge rapid expansion of U.S. power capacity to support AI

Secretary Chris Wright said the United States must sharply expand electricity production to support artificial intelligence and data center growth, arguing on a public panel that the country has underinvested in “building big things” for decades.

“If we’re gonna win at AI, we need to massively grow our electricity production,” Wright said, calling for a focus on “secure, reliable, affordable electricity” rather than partisan debate.

The panelists — Wright; John Ketchum, president, chief executive and chairman of NextEra; and Ruth Porat of Google and Alphabet — outlined a mix of private investment, permitting reform and workforce development as the path forward. Wright and industry leaders said data centers, when paired with long-term contracts and infrastructure investment, can help lower costs by increasing utilization of existing generation.

“Data centers are the road to lower electricity crisis in our country,” Ketchum said, arguing that large-scale builds and coordinated transmission, gas and nuclear investments will enable cheaper, more reliable power. He described NextEra’s ReWire initiative with Google, which uses AI tools to optimize grid dispatch; Ketchum estimated the tool could eventually save Florida customers about $200 million a year once perfected.

Ruth Porat said Google seeks to be a net contributor to local energy systems by investing in capacity alongside data center builds. She cited a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory assessment the company referenced showing that states with data centers have not seen electricity prices rise as quickly as states without them. Porat also described Google’s Tapestry effort to speed decision-making and DOE’s estimate that modernizing the grid could unlock about 100 gigawatts of capacity.

Panelists acknowledged risks and uneven outcomes. Ketchum conceded “a few deals have been done poorly” and can strain local grids; he said properly structured agreements and upfront spending by hyperscalers can mitigate those harms. He also urged permitting reform, saying that lengthy approvals and litigation slow critical projects.

Wright highlighted supply-chain bottlenecks for turbines and other components and stressed a need to rebuild U.S. manufacturing capacity in some areas. He emphasized workforce shortages in skilled trades and urged expansion of trade schools and apprenticeship programs, noting the opportunity for high-paying jobs in construction and utilities work.

The panel discussed regional differences in grid conditions: Ketchum said PJM faces generation shortfalls needing capacity-market fixes, while ERCOT often has excess generation at some hours that storage and dispatch tools can better utilize. Panelists pointed to examples such as Florida Power & Light’s portfolio mix and investments in Texas — Porat said Google added roughly 7,600 megawatts of capacity in Texas related to its developments — as demonstrations of combined approaches.

Panelists closed by saying success in the next three years would look like new energy capacity brought online, expanded workforce pipelines and continued public–private coordination. There were no formal votes or policy actions taken during the session.