POLITICO Energy The AI race is on. Can energy keep up?
Nov 21, 2025
Dario Gil, the Undersecretary for Science at the Department of Energy, dives into the intersection of energy demand and emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing. He discusses the urgent energy challenges posed by AI-driven data centers and emphasizes the importance of investing in fusion as a long-term solution. Gil also highlights the competitiveness with China, advocating for a robust U.S. stance in tech and energy. Moreover, he stresses the need to integrate security into research from the outset, ensuring a balance between speed and safety.
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Energy Is The Rate-Limiting Factor For AI
- Electricity demand is reversing decades of flat growth due to AI and large data centers requiring gigawatts more power.
- Dario Gil says energy is the current rate-limiting step for AI progress and shapes near-term policy and grid decisions.
DOE Invests Across Near And Far Horizons
- The Department of Energy is investing across horizons from near-term grid solutions to long-term fusion research.
- Gil prioritizes fusion in the science agenda while also addressing immediate needs to support AI and re-industrialization.
Fusion Momentum: Facilities And Superconductors
- Gil recounts progress in fusion: facilities and test environments are being constructed and teams aim for Q>1 demonstrations.
- He notes advances like novel superconducting tapes enabling higher magnetic fields and renewed ambition toward pilot power plants.