President Donald Trump is set to announce $70 billion in new artificial intelligence and energy investments during the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University. The summit brings together over 60 executives from top tech and energy companies, including Meta, Microsoft, Alphabet, ExxonMobil, and Anthropic, to discuss positioning the US as a global leader in AI.
The investment plan includes new AI data centers, power generation projects, and grid upgrades, along with training programs and apprenticeships to build the future workforce. Blackstone is committing $25 billion for Northeast Pennsylvania projects, creating 6,000 construction jobs per year and 3,000 permanent positions. This initiative highlights the growing interdependence of AI technology and energy capacity, with data centers projected to consume 8.6% of US electricity by 2035.
The administration's strategy prioritizes expanding natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy to prevent blackouts and support the AI boom. However, critics argue that relying on fossil fuels conflicts with sustainability goals. The event underscores Pennsylvania's significance as a battleground state and its role in the US energy landscape.
The summit is part of Trump's broader effort to cement US global leadership in AI, following a $100 billion investment from SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle earlier this year. The administration has also reversed restrictions on AI chip exports and pushed to streamline regulations and support economic revitalization in key states like Pennsylvania.
