Wright: hyperscalers should help pay to upgrade grid as AI demand rises

Christopher Wright said the U.S. electricity system has not kept pace with growth in primary energy production and that expanding reliable, firm power is necessary to support AI, hyperscale data centers and reindustrialization.

Wright told the Atlantic Council that in the last 20 years the United States tripled oil production and doubled natural gas production while barely growing electricity production. He said the imbalance threatens efforts to expand AI and asked states and companies to speed grid upgrades. Wright said hyperscale cloud providers have "embraced" a Trump administration "ratepayer protection pledge" to ensure they pay their share of grid upgrades and minimize cost exposure to local consumers.

On generation sources, Wright said natural gas is the most practical near-term option to provide 24/7 firm power for data centers, while also supporting nuclear, small modular reactors and next-generation geothermal as complementary sources. He recommended that data-center developers "pay their own way" for necessary local grid and water upgrades, and said many providers are already investing in that infrastructure.

Wright framed the stance as pro-business and pro-consumer: higher, reliable supply will lower costs and enable technological leadership, he argued. He acknowledged local and state pushback over water and electricity use but said direct investment by data-center operators can address those concerns.