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Artificial intelligence is transforming how we cure disease, defend nations, and deliver goods. But the same technology driving this surge of innovation is also testing the limits of the system that supports it. Innovation is moving faster than infrastructure, and our energy strategy has to catch up.Its time to manage energy as a strategic asset. While AI is fueling demand at historic levels, it also gives us the tools to use power more intelligently, stabilize the grid, and unlock capacity we already have. If we work together, AI can turn todays energy challenge into tomorrows competitive advantage. INNOVATION IS OUTPACING THE GRID AI is reshaping the global economy, but the grid powering it was not built for this reality. Much of Americas power infrastructure is aging, fragmented, and structurally behind modern digital demands. The result: interconnection queues, delayed projects, constrained communities, and a widening gap between the power we need and the power we can deliver.This isnt just a technology issue. Its a national security issue. Its a competitiveness issue. And, if we address it head-on, a generational opportunity.We need to shift the conversation from how much power we use to how well we use it. AI enables efficiencies we couldnt achieve before. But technology alone wont solve the problem. Progress requires new ways of working and collaboration among utilities, regulators, operators, and government to modernize the grid and use limited resources more intelligently. TURN POWER INTO AN ADVANTAGE In the AI economy, doing more with less is a competitive advantage. AI enables: Accurate demand forecasting that prevents overbuilding and unused capacity Predictive maintenance that avoids unplanned outages Dynamic cooling and energy management that respond in real time to workloads and climate Companies using these tools are building more resilient, cost-effective infrastructure that scales with demand, rather than chasing it.Across industries, leaders are proving that smarter systems improve both performance and efficiency. Utilities use AI to balance real-time supply and demand. Retailers optimize logistics to cut energy waste. Hospitals coordinate equipment usage to reduce load. Manufacturers automate energy management across active and idle systems. We have the tools to build the grid we need. But tools alone wont meet the moment. COLLABORATION IS THE POWER MULTIPLIER WERE MISSING We can unlock years of trapped capacity if we break down the barriers between the organizations shaping the grid. Utilities, regulators, data center companies, and government all want the same outcome: reliable, resilient power that strengthens communities and supports economic growth. But historically we have worked in parallel instead of in partnership.We need transparent planning. Aligned incentives. Shared data. And the willingness to sit at the same table to problem solve together.We are entering an era where every kilowatt matters. AI gives us the tools to use energy smarter and to build a grid thats cleaner, faster, and more resilient than the one we rely on today.But technology cant do this alone. People and policies must enable it.If we break down silos between the public and private sectors, align around shared interests, and treat energy as a strategic asset, we can solve the power problem and build a strong foundation to support the next century of innovation. The opportunity is right in front of us, if we choose to take it together. Chris Crosby is CEO of Compass Datacenters.
Category:
E-Commerce
The developers of a Virginia offshore wind project are asking a federal judge to block a Trump administration order that halted construction of their project, along with four others, over national security concerns. Dominion Energy Virginia said in its lawsuit filed late Tuesday that the government’s order is arbitrary and capricious and unconstitutional. The Richmond-based company is developing Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, a project it says is essential to meet dramatically growing energy needs driven by dozens of new data centers. The Interior Department did not detail the security concerns in blocking the five projects on Monday. In a letter to project developers, Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management set a 90-day period and possibly longer to determine whether the national security threats posed by this project can be adequately mitigated. The other projects are the Vineyard Wind project under construction in Massachusetts, Revolution Wind in Rhode Island and Connecticut and two projects in New York: Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind. Democratic governors in those states have vowed to fight the order, the latest action by the Trump administration to hobble offshore wind in its push against renewable energy sources. Dominion’s project has been under construction since early 2024 and was scheduled to come online early next year, providing enough energy to power about 660,000 homes. The company said the delay was costing it more than $5 million a day in losses solely for the ships used in round-the-clock construction, and that customers or the company would eventually bear the cost. Dominion called this week’s order the latest in a series of irrational agency actions attacking offshore wind and then doubling down when those actions are found unlawful. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. U.S. District Judge Jamar Walker set a hearing for 2 p.m. Monday on Dominion’s request for a temporary restraining order. ___ The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters, and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
Stocks moved slightly lower in midday Friday trading as investors returned from the Christmas holiday. Trading is expected to be light. The S&P 500 index was down 0.1% as of 12:15 p.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite was down less than 0.1%. Institutional investors are largely closed out of their positions for the year. The S&P 500 has climbed nearly 18% this year, helped by the deregulatory policies of the Trump administration as well as investor optimism about the future of artificial intelligence. Gold and silver prices continued to climb, with silver rising more than 7% to $76.88 an ounce. Gold was up 1.4%. Both precious metals have risen this year as investors have looked for safe havens outside of stocks and bonds, and silver has also risen sharply due supply constraints. Miners like Freeport-McMoRan were among the biggest gainers Friday. Earlier surges in gold prices partly reflected worries during the U.S. government shutdown. Expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut interest rates further in the new year, weakening the dollar against other currencies, have also fueled buying of gold. Shares of Target rose 2% after The Financial Times reported that an activist investor is taking a stake in the retail giant. U.S. crude oil fell nearly 2% and Brent crude fell more than 1%. Markets in Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia were closed. Most European markets remained closed Friday.
Category:
E-Commerce
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