The race to build the world’s largest computer farms is driving an explosion in electricity demand, straining an American energy system ill-equipped to keep up. In response, the Trump administration is overhauling regulations for energy and infrastructure projects tied to artificial intelligence. At the same time, the White House is fast-tracking fossil fuel development and scaling back renewables — a strategy that could leave U.S. tech companies exposed to power shortages and competitive risks abroad.

This briefing from Sept. 5, 2025, featured WP Intelligence Lead AI u0026 Tech Analyst Jason Dean and Thomas Spencer, senior energy analyst at the International Energy Agency.

Read the related report by Jason Dean: "AI saving energy: Three ways the tech industry can prevent a power crisis" https://wpintelligence.washingtonpost.com/topics/ai-tech/2025/09/04/ai-saving-energy-three-ways-tech-industry-can-prevent-power-crisis/

WP Intelligence is The Washington Post’s subscription service for professionals that provides business, policy and thought leaders with actionable insights. WP Intelligence operates independently from the Washington Post newsroom. See more from WP Intelligence: https://wpintelligence.washingtonpost.com/