ALFA Notes: Energy Edition

First, some personnel news …

Doug Burgum and Chris Wright are officially part of President Trump’s cabinet.

Wright was confirmed Monday night by a vote of 59-38 and Burgum last week by a vote of 79-18. Both men bring an acute understanding of how advanced energy sources will power America’s technological and manufacturing renaissance, and strengthen America’s leadership on the world stage.

Flashback to Wright’s confirmation hearing where he said: “Nuclear could provide high temperature heat to really impact manufacturing as well. There is just so much room to run and grow for nuclear energy. And I think we are going to see broad investments across the country in research and enabling technologies.”

For Burgum’s part, in addition to serving as Secretary of the Interior and leading the National Energy Council, his appointment to the President’s National Security Council signals that energy security and technological leadership are now inseparable pillars of American power.

During his confirmation hearings, Burgum crystallized what's at stake: "Without baseload power, we're going to lose the AI arms race to China. And if we lose the AI arms race to China, then that's got direct impacts on our national security."

This isn't just a hypothetical – it's reality, as American technology companies race to build unprecedented AI infrastructure that demands massive power generation.

With jurisdiction over half a billion acres of federal land rich in energy resources and critical minerals, Burgum's mandate is clear: unlock American energy to power American innovation.

Energy security, technological leadership, and national security are now one and the same.

Nuclear Notes

Nuclear energy has been a reliable source of energy for over 50 years. Yet this well-known industry has re-inspired the public’s attention in recent weeks as nuclear company stocks have gone soaring. A number of eye-popping headlines announcing future data center and AI investments in the billions of dollars have driven this trend. Investors are seeing what energy leaders have long known: nuclear is a key ingredient to America leading the next generation. Leaders in Washington should embrace and expand on President Trump’s early executive actions on nuclear energy to secure this abundant, affordable, and clean source of American energy.

Energy in an electrified age

The International Energy Agency (IEA) released a report last month that explains why the window is opening for nuclear: we are at an inflection point for energy: “Demand for electricity is rising fast, not only for conventional uses such as light industry or air conditioning, but also in new areas such as electric vehicles, datacenters and artificial intelligence. Electricity use has increased at twice the rate of total energy demand over the past decade and is set to extend this lead as the world enters a new Age of Electricity.”

America’s missing ingredient

The need for new sources of reliable electricity is as urgent as ever. Nuclear energy is an essential part of an all-of-the-above strategy that can deliver America the energy it needs today and into the future. 

Despite energy leaders knowing these clear advantages, America isn’t yet taking the reins as it should on leading the world in nuclear energy. On the other side of the world, China is building almost as many new nuclear power plants as the rest of the world combined. This development puts China “on course to overtake both the United States and European Union in installed nuclear power capacity by 2030.” The good news is that America can still chart a course towards leading the world in this critical energy source.

America’s Energy Future

President Trump’s recent executive order impacting nuclear production materials is an excellent start to putting America back on the map for nuclear energy. Now policymakers should take the necessary steps to ensure a new generation of nuclear energy generation in America. They can start by simplifying byzantine regulatory processes for new projects.

This will help unlock a wave of nuclear innovation across the US, such as Oklo’s recent announcement of its plan to power datacenters with its nuclear-powered Aurora powerhouses.

Increased nuclear energy output can help power the next generation of American innovation and production at home. Building the future of AI, cutting edge technologies, and America’s manufacturing base will run on American energy innovation–now is our time to lead.

Thank you for reading and have a great day

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