OpenAI is asking for the federal government to help power a massive expansion of its data center network (www.businessinsider.com)

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman urged the White House to support a major expansion of AI data-center infrastructure tied to its "Stargate" buildout — a multi-site project under construction in Texas, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin. In a letter to the Office of Science and Technology Policy, OpenAI framed the effort as a “once-in-a-century” reindustrialization opportunity, estimating that a broader $1 trillion AI infrastructure push could lift GDP by more than 5% over three years. To execute the buildout, OpenAI says the U.S. will need roughly one-fifth of the current skilled-trades workforce and should add about 100 gigawatts of generation capacity per year; it plans a Certifications and Jobs Platform starting in 2026 to train new workers. The appeal spotlights an “electron gap” with China — which added 429 GW of capacity in 2024 versus the U.S.’s 51 GW — and frames generation shortfalls as risks to competitiveness and national security. The energy surge also raises near-term policy and community issues: new AI centers have increased household bills in multiple states, utilities may pass multibillion-dollar grid upgrades onto customers, and reliance on fossil generation could produce $5.7–$9.2 billion yearly in public-health costs. The letter signals OpenAI wants federal help coordinating workforce, grid expansion and regulatory frameworks as AI-driven load scales rapidly.