Former U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged a massive expansion of America’s power infrastructure, promising that 1,600 new electrical generating plants will come online within the next 12 months as soaring artificial intelligence demand puts increasing strain on the U.S. energy grid.
Speaking during a national address, Trump said the initiative is aimed at easing electricity costs for consumers while ensuring the country can keep pace with rapidly growing AI-driven data center demand.
AI boom puts pressure on the power grid
Trump pointed to artificial intelligence as a key driver behind rising electricity demand, arguing that faster approvals and expanded generation are necessary to prevent energy prices from spiraling higher. He said his administration plans to accelerate production projects to meet the needs of data centers powering large-scale AI systems.
“Within the next 12 months, we will have opened 1,600 new electrical generating plants, a record,” Trump said, adding that electricity prices and other consumer costs are expected to fall as supply expands.
ERCOT warns of surging data center requests
The announcement comes as the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) reports a dramatic surge in large-load interconnection requests. According to the council, total requests have jumped from 63 gigawatts at the end of last year to roughly 226 gigawatts, with data center projects accounting for about 73% of the total.
Many of these projects are tied directly to AI-scale computing, underscoring how rapidly emerging technologies are reshaping energy demand across the U.S., particularly in Texas.
Economic message and political backdrop
During the address, Trump highlighted what he described as economic gains under his administration, presenting charts that showed falling prices and rising wages. He blamed higher health insurance costs on Democratic policies and referenced a 43-day government shutdown in October and November, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, over efforts to extend pandemic-era insurance subsidies.
Trump acknowledged that his approval ratings dipped during the shutdown but said they have since recovered modestly. He urged Americans to remain optimistic, stating that the country is on the verge of a major economic upswing.
“We’re poised for an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen,” he said.
Long-term energy and AI strategy
Trump framed the power plant expansion as a cornerstone of his broader economic and energy strategy. He argued that boosting generation capacity and cutting regulatory delays would help stabilize the grid, lower costs for households, and preserve America’s competitiveness in AI and other emerging technologies.
As AI adoption accelerates and data centers continue to multiply, the success of such plans could play a defining role in how the U.S. balances technological growth with energy reliability.
