Seizing the AI opportunity

The US leads the world in developing AI—an advantage that helps ensure this technology is built to benefit as many people as possible. But keeping that edge requires far more electricity than the US can currently provide, and the growing shortfall threatens our leadership on a technology that provides a once-in-a-century opportunity to strengthen our economy and modernize America’s industrial base.

Electricity is not simply a utility. It’s a strategic asset that is critical to building the AI infrastructure that will secure our leadership on the most consequential technology since electricity itself. And it’s the kind of investment that will pay clear and tangible returns: the first $1 trillion invested in AI infrastructure could create more than 5 percent in additional GDP growth over a three-year period, according to an internal OpenAI analysis.

The gains don’t stop there. In a new submission⁠(opens in a new window) today to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, we detail how AI systems are improving how we operate and manage the grid, forecast demand, and design next-generation systems that make energy generation more efficient and reliable. 

In the seven months since we submitted our first response to OSTP, our weekly user base has doubled from more than 400 million to over 800 million people, with most using our tools for free. That growth reflects how rapidly AI is becoming part of daily life for millions of people—and reinforces the urgent need to find enough energy to support that growth.

In our new OSTP submission, we urge the administration to:

There’s a need for urgent action to prevent the People’s Republic of China from pulling ahead in electricity generation. China added 429 gigawatts of new power capacity in 2024, accounting for over half of global electricity growth. The US contributed just 51 gigawatts, roughly one-eighth of China’s increase, which is creating an “electron gap” that puts US leadership at risk. Electrons are the new oil, and we believe the Trump Administration should work with the private sector on an ambitious national project to build 100 gigawatts a year of new energy capacity.

OpenAI is committed to doing our part. The Stargate sites we’re building in Texas, New Mexico, Ohio, and Wisconsin will add nearly 7 GW of new compute capacity and over $400 billion in investment over the next three years. This puts us on a clear path, and ahead of schedule, to meeting our full $500 billion, 10 GW commitment by the end of 2025. 

At the new Wisconsin site, we’re working with the local utility to increase energy capacity in ways that strengthen the grid for residents. And our designs ensure that our Stargate sites contribute energy back to the local system—or reduce how much they draw from it—to avoid higher costs for consumers.

We’re also preparing today’s workers for tomorrow’s jobs through our OpenAI Certifications program and Jobs Platform, which create new pathways into skilled trades and technology roles with strong wages and portable credentials. These careers support families and anchor communities far from Silicon Valley.

They can also help eliminate the labor shortages which are a growing constraint to America’s AI leadership. An analysis of our US infrastructure plans finds the country will need an estimated 20 percent of its current skilled trades workforce over the next five years to support new data centers and energy infrastructure. To seize the opportunities of the Intelligence Age, the US must train and mobilize a large skilled workforce that can build and operate the infrastructure behind the AI economy.

There’s clear reason to be confident the US can pull it off. From the interstate highway system to the Apollo program, the US has a history of thinking big, acting big, and building big. That same ambition can deliver the energy and infrastructure needed to maintain America’s global lead in AI—and ensure the technology remains a source of national prosperity and strength.