The Heritage Basis senior economist Peter St. Onge discusses Sen. Bernie Sanders’, I-Vt., proposal for a moratorium on new AI information facilities and critiques Sanders’ stance as a ‘energy seize’ on ‘The Backside Line.’
PROGRAMMING ALERT: Jackie DeAngelis hosts a particular one-hour program: “Fox Enterprise In Depth: Reenergizing America” on February 18 at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT. Jackie and a panel of specialists, newsmakers, and FBN correspondents break down the progress and headwinds in securing America’s vitality future.
We’re on the precipice of the best financial and technological transformation in human historical past: the AI revolution. This race is not going to be gained with out vital minerals, metals and vitality dominance — and U.S. vitality will likely be key to successful the race for the longer term.
In truth, historical past reveals us that the time is now. That is the problem of our age. Once we look again on the Industrial Revolution, some of the vital commodities was vitality — coal and oil. Right now, you possibly can virtually argue that vital minerals similar to copper could also be simply as vital to the way forward for the financial system as oil and gasoline. They’re deeply intertwined, however finally it comes right down to electrical energy — and an all-hands-on-deck U.S. vitality technique to provide it.
For the primary time in human historical past, we are able to convert electrical energy into intelligence. As Inside Secretary Doug Burgum has famous, this shift makes the AI race the “Manhattan Challenge of our time” — a defining contest for nationwide safety, financial energy and navy benefit.
Whoever dominates AI will form the longer term, and the U.S. should lead — not simply in innovation, however within the uncooked supplies that energy it.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT AI
Electrical energy is the lifeblood of AI, and U.S. vitality is important to satisfy the large computational calls for required to coach AI fashions, course of information and carry out trillions of calculations per second. Coaching a single massive language mannequin can require 1000’s of GPUs working for months, with cooling methods alone consuming as much as 40% of the electrical energy. With out dependable, considerable energy, AI progress would halt, and our adversaries would acquire a bonus.
Fox Information anchor Bret Baier explores how the expertise is altering how the world operates on ‘Particular Report.’
Oil performs a key oblique position in supporting AI via the worldwide vitality system. Whereas renewables broaden, oil — and particularly pure gasoline — ship dependable baseload electrical energy to forestall blackouts that AI information facilities can’t tolerate.
Firms like ExxonMobil provide pure gasoline for on-site energy vegetation, generally with carbon seize. Petrochemicals derived from oil are additionally important for {hardware} parts similar to server plastics and cables. In a symbiotic twist, AI optimizes oil exploration and restoration, probably unlocking huge extra reserves — at the same time as oil fuels AI’s rising vitality demand.
AI’s electrical energy calls for are surging attributable to speedy information heart development. World information facilities consumed round 415 terawatt-hours in 2024 — about 1.5% of worldwide electrical energy — and projections present that determine may double to roughly 945 terawatt-hours by 2030 in base-case situations from the Worldwide Vitality Company, pushed primarily by AI. Some estimates vary from 1,000 to 1,600 terawatt-hours globally.
DATA CENTER BOOM POWERING AI REVOLUTION MAY DRAIN US GRIDS — AND WALLETS
Within the U.S., information facilities used about 4.4% of electrical energy in 2023 and will rise to between 6.7% and 12% by 2028. Energy demand may attain 106 gigawatts by 2035, up sharply from prior forecasts. To steer in AI requires versatile grids, aggressive renewable scaling and hybrid fossil gas options similar to pure gasoline to fill gaps, although effectivity positive aspects might mood long-term peaks.
FOX Enterprise contributor Phil Flynn analyzes President Donald Trump’s plan to rebuild Venezuela’s oil business after Maduro’s seize on ‘The Backside Line.’
Historical past proves that game-changing improvements do greater than increase productiveness — they rewrite the principles of wealth creation. The Industrial Revolution unleashed mechanized manufacturing, urbanization and international commerce, creating unprecedented prosperity. The Web Revolution democratized data and commerce, birthing trillion-dollar tech giants and connecting billions.
AI OUT OF CONTROL? HOW A SINGLE ARTICLE IS SENDING SHOCK WAVES WITH AN APOCALYPTIC WARNING
Now AI stands to push us additional — boldly into uncharted territory. Huge Tech is already pouring huge sources into it. In February 2026, Amazon introduced plans to spend $200 billion on AI infrastructure, chips and robotics. Total, main gamers are on monitor to speculate round $650 billion in AI-related information facilities, superior chips and the vitality spine wanted to energy them in 2026 alone.
This surge isn’t just about financial development — it’s existential for U.S. navy functionality and nationwide safety. We should preserve our edge in AI to guard life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Failure means adversaries like China may flip the expertise in opposition to us, a lot because the house race outlined the Sixties. President John F. Kennedy’s name to go to the moon — “not as a result of it’s simple, however as a result of it’s onerous” — echoes at this time. We select this problem as a result of the stakes demand that we win.
Vertiv CEO Giordano Albertazzi discusses A.I. spending targeted on information facilities and the financial development of Vertiv Holdings LLC on ‘The Claman Countdown.’
China has spent many years constructing an iron grip on vital minerals. It controls an estimated 60% to 70% of worldwide uncommon earth mining, 90% to 94% of refining and processing, and about 93% of everlasting magnets important for AI, protection expertise and superior methods. Uncommon earths aren’t actually uncommon — however securing and mining them is tough. Because the pandemic confirmed, when one nation dominates the availability chain, it could possibly weaponize it.
The Trump administration is appearing decisively with a transparent blueprint to rebuild America’s provide chains. Challenge Vault, a landmark initiative, creates a strategic reserve for vital minerals — akin to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, however for the supplies powering AI and protection. Backed by a document $10 billion mortgage from the U.S. Export-Import Financial institution and almost $1.67 billion in non-public funding, the almost $12 billion effort goals to defend producers from provide shocks, ramp up home manufacturing and gas the subsequent nice leap ahead.
Controlling these minerals will not be optionally available — it’s important to staying forward economically and making certain nationwide safety for People. Whoever dominates this house can wield it for good or in poor health. With our values of free markets, ingenuity and particular person liberty, the USA is uniquely positioned to succeed.
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to debate the subsequent part of the AI increase that is increasing past information facilities into vehicles, units and robotics.
For merchants and traders, the implications are already taking part in out. File highs in metals similar to silver, gold, copper, platinum and palladium mirror the market’s recognition of this shift. Breakthroughs in prescribed drugs, shopper merchandise and different sectors will speed up at unprecedented velocity — as a result of now intelligence isn’t just human; it’s powered by the minerals and vitality we safe at this time.
That is greater than a commodities story — it’s the basis of America’s future within the AI period. The time to behave is now.
Phil Flynn joined FOX Enterprise Community (FBN) in 2008 as a contributor and at the moment supplies market evaluation specializing within the vitality sector throughout the community and FOXBusiness.com. He’s based mostly in Chicago the place he incessantly experiences dwell from FBN’s Chicago bureau on the Chicago Mercantile Trade (CME). Click on right here to learn extra.
