AI Boom Will Reshape U.S. Energy Demand, Interior Secretary Says

WASHINGTON, May 12, 2026 – Surging electricity demand from artificial intelligence will require the United States to rapidly expand energy production and overhaul federal permitting timelines, Interior SecretaryDoug Burgum said Tuesday.

“AI is transforming everything,” Burgum said at a United States Energy Association event in Washington. “We need a lot more energy.”

Burgum described AI infrastructure as “manufacturing intelligence” rather than traditional data center development, arguing the technology would reshape industries ranging from health care to defense.

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