On Wednesday, July 15, CRES Forum and the bipartisan American Energy Dominance Caucus convened a full room on Capitol Hill for “Winning Tomorrow: Responsibly Scaling Energy Resources for AI Dominance” — a panel discussion on powering America’s AI future while maintaining affordability and engaging local communities. The discussion brought together congressional leaders and industry experts to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with powering America’s growing AI economy.
“For energy, the path to affordability is growth,” Arthur Haubenstock, Senior Legal Counsel at Equinix, told the room. It’s a simple statement that cuts to the core of the challenge: AI data centers are demanding electricity at an enormous scale, and the permitting process wasn’t built for this speed.
Chairman Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), founder of the American Energy Dominance Caucus and Chairman of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, emphasized the importance of American energy production for innovation, economic growth and national security. CRES Forum’s Ryan McManus highlighted the need to meet rising demand while ensuring thoughtful engagement with affected communities.
AWS Public Policy Energy Policy Manager Ray Fakhoury led the discussion on a panel featuring Yvonne McIntyre, Vice President of Federal Affairs at PG&E; David Gilbert, Vice President of Federal Government Affairs at Constellation; Arthur Haubenstock, Senior Legal Counsel, Global Regulatory, at Equinix; and Dane Farrell, Director of Government Relations for North America at Honeywell Technologies. The panel made three points clear:
One: Electricity demand from AI and data centers is outpacing infrastructure deployment.
Two: Reliable, affordable and scalable energy requires all resources — natural gas, nuclear, renewables and transmission.
Three: Permitting reform is essential to timely infrastructure development.
CRES Forum is proud to partner with policymakers and industry leaders working to advance solutions that strengthen American energy leadership, support innovation and ensure the United States has the resources necessary to remain competitive in the global AI race.
If you are interested in working with the CRES Forum team, please contact CRES Forum’s Vice President of External Affairs, Angela Chiappetta, at [email protected].