ALFA Field Notes: Special Announcement

Bringing You Secretary Burgum

The ALFA Institute has partnered with Breitbart News and CGCN for our first live event with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on March 19 in Washington, DC.

The Secretary’s policy portfolio is as important as any in this current moment. Readers of this newsletter are keenly aware that we need a lot of energy (and potentially land too) to keep rebuilding our industrial and innovation base.

In this conversation we will get beneath the headlines and explore the dynamic ideas and proposals impacting technology advancement that we often cover here at ALFA— such as updated mineral mapping, compute clusters, technology testing, and of course, energy production. We can’t wait to hear from the Secretary on these issues and many others.

We are thrilled to partner with our friends at Breitbart and CGCN to host the Secretary and hope you will join us. Space is limited so please RSVP to [email protected].

States Follow the Fed’s Lead

As a former governor and technology executive, and now Interior Secretary, Doug Burgum knows what it takes to secure the resources needed for an advancing economy. Now, it appears other current governors are taking his lead.

Over the weekend, the Associated Press reported many states are “pressing for ways to build new power plants faster”. Here are some data points from the piece:

• The National Governors Association is asking Congress to make it easier and faster to build power plants (while also critiquing the U.S. as among the slowest developed nations in approving energy projects).

• Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro wants to establish an agency to fast-track the construction of big power plants — including through tax incentives.

• Indiana, Michigan and Louisiana are exploring ideas to attract nuclear power while Maryland lawmakers are floating ideas about commissioning the construction of a new power plant there.

• In Missouri, utilities including Ameren and Evergy, as well as the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, labor unions and the state’s top utility regulator are backing legislation to repeal a nearly half-century old law preventing utilities from charging customers to build a power plant until it is operational.

To supplement the work of Secretary Burgum and other cabinet officials, a tax and regulatory competition amongst states is exactly what’s needed to extend the technological opportunity across the country.

ALFA editor note: Pay no mind to the tired framing in the AP article suggesting the race for more energy is a struggle between “big tech” and residential utility customers. We are entering an age of abundance, giving every American business, family, and entrepreneur the opportunity to achieve more of what they want.

A Stable Financial Infrastructure

This morning, the House Financial Services Committee is holding a hearing on a “Federal Framework for Payment Stablecoins and Consequences of a U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency”.

A couple weeks ago we wrote about Stripe’s annual letter and the growing use of stablecoins. Today, CEO Patrick Collison will testify on the company’s experience and the future of our country’s financial infrastructure.

His testimony reveals a striking data point: when they launched stablecoin payments in April 2024, they processed more volume in one week than they saw with Bitcoin over an entire year and a half. This signals genuine market demand, not speculative interest. Stripe now processes over $1.4 trillion annually—approximately 1.3% of global GDP—giving them unparalleled visibility into the real economic impacts of emerging financial technologies.

Meanwhile, Paxos CEO Charles Cascarilla underscores the strategic importance of stablecoins for America's financial leadership, noting that despite regulatory headwinds, an estimated 99% of stablecoin balances globally are USD-based. This phenomenon, which Treasury Secretary Bessent recently compared to the "petrodollar" system of the 1970s, represents a significant opportunity to cement dollar dominance in the coming decades.

The stakes are higher than updating payments infrastructure—this conversation is about whether America will maintain its technological and financial leadership in the decades ahead. By convening this high-caliber hearing, Chairman Hill is ensuring that Congress approaches these questions with the seriousness and strategic clarity they deserve.

Thanks for reading and have a great day.

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