WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy has unveiled a new initiative aimed at overhauling the speed and scale of grid infrastructure projects, warning that current development rates are falling behind the nation’s growing energy demands and ambitions in artificial intelligence.
The Speed to Power initiative, announced Friday, is designed to accelerate both transmission and generation projects, ensuring the country can deliver the affordable, reliable and secure energy required to power reindustrialization and remain competitive in the global AI race.
“In the coming years, Americans will require more energy to power their homes and businesses – and with President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Energy is ensuring we can meet this growing demand while fueling AI and data center development,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. “With the Speed to Power initiative, we’re leveraging the expertise of the private sector to harness all forms of energy that are affordable, reliable and secure to ensure the United States is able to win the AI race.”
The effort begins with a Request for Information seeking input from states, utilities, and industry on large-scale projects that could quickly expand capacity. DOE said it is especially interested in near-term opportunities, project readiness, regional load growth, and infrastructure bottlenecks, while also evaluating how federal funding and regulatory tools can be deployed to remove delays.
The initiative stems from a series of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump, including his Day One declaration of a national energy emergency and subsequent directives to strengthen grid reliability and secure U.S. leadership in AI. In its earlier Report on Evaluating U.S. Grid Reliability and Security, DOE cautioned that blackouts could rise one hundredfold by 2030 if reliable baseload power continues to be retired without sufficient new capacity.
DOE officials said the Speed to Power plan is a central piece of the administration’s energy strategy, aligning federal resources with local and private investment to rapidly expand grid capacity and reduce the risk of major reliability failures.
The initiative comes as data centers, AI development, and advanced manufacturing sectors are driving record demand for power. DOE emphasized that the plan is intended not only to meet these needs but also to reinforce economic and national security by ensuring that energy infrastructure keeps pace with technological and industrial growth.
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