Interior Department

AI Boom Will Reshape U.S. Energy Demand, Interior Secretary Says

The nation’s top public lands official said artificial intelligence will require major increases in U.S. energy production.

Georgina Mackie

May 12, 2026 — 2 min read

Photo of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Tuesday at a United States Energy Association event in Washington.

WASHINGTON, May 12, 2026 – Surging electricity demand from artificial intelligence will require the United States to rapidly expand energy production and overhaul federal permitting timelines, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Tuesday.

“AI is transforming everything,” Burgum said at a United States Energy Association event in Washington. “We need a lot more energy.”

Burgum described AI infrastructure as “manufacturing intelligence” rather than traditional data center development, arguing the technology would reshape industries ranging from health care to defense.

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