Is AI really fueling an energy crisis or just a political agenda?

In a recent article by The Atlantic, the publication examines former U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for fossil fuels under the pretext of an AI-driven energy revolution. The article highlights how Trump has linked America’s AI ambitions to a significant expansion of coal, oil, and natural gas production, despite dubious claims about an impending electricity shortage.

The article argues that while AI and data centers are driving an increase in U.S. electricity demand, the extent of this growth remains uncertain. Federal data suggests a moderate rise in consumption—far from the crisis Trump and energy companies portray. While AI executives such as OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella acknowledge the need for more energy, they emphasize renewables and nuclear power as the preferred sources. Nonetheless, major oil and gas corporations, including Exxon and Chevron, have seized on AI’s projected energy demands to justify large-scale fossil-fuel investments.

The Atlantic notes that Trump’s rhetoric aligns with the financial interests of the fossil-fuel industry, which has donated heavily to his campaign. By leveraging concerns about AI’s power requirements, the administration effectively provides a political pretext for expanding traditional energy sources. However, experts interviewed in the article challenge this narrative. Jonathan Koomey, an energy and digital technology researcher, asserts that AI does not pose an imminent threat to national energy supply. Similarly, a report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) found that data centers currently account for just 4.4% of U.S. electricity consumption, with projections reaching at most 12% by 2028—hardly a justification for an aggressive fossil-fuel push.

The article further suggests that utilities may be exaggerating AI-driven demand growth, as many proposed data centers may never be built. Meanwhile, the fossil-fuel industry benefits from any policy shift that prioritizes natural gas, coal, and oil. The piece concludes that AI’s energy needs, while real, are being used as a convenient excuse for Trump’s pro-fossil-fuel agenda. Despite tech companies’ public commitments to sustainability, their emissions have surged, raising concerns about AI’s environmental impact.

Ultimately, The Atlantic presents a critical view of how AI is being politicized to advance fossil-fuel interests, arguing that energy choices are driven more by profit and politics than genuine necessity.

By Vugar Khalilov