On Tuesday, President Trump spoke at the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University. He announced that 20 of the biggest technology and energy companies are investing $92 billion to advancing AI and energy initiatives. Part of that includes constructing data centers to power AI and energy innovation centers for training workers.
Elizabeth Stelle, Vice President of Policy at the Harrisburg-based Commonwealth Foundation, says that if you like reliable and affordable power, you should care about what's going on in Pittsburgh.
She informs that not only is Pittsburg a major exporter of electricity across the northern seaboard but there are technologies being created in Pennsylvania to help improve AI that people use, whether they is using ChatGPT or something a little more advanced.
“What we're seeing is investment coming to this state, and that's really important because this is a global race. And, if you can produce reliable and affordable energy, that's where they're going to locate the data centers, that's where you're going to see high-tech innovation happening," Stelle explains.
Stelle adds this is not just a Silicon Valley thing anymore.
"It really focused on private sector investment. It wasn't talking about handouts to a new corporation. It wasn't talking about loans or grants or taxpayer guarantees. It was about private investment. So, that was very refreshing, and that's going to require a competitive and friendly business environment,” states Stelle.
Senator Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania) was in attendance, as well as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, and White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks.
Governor Josh Shapiro (D-Pennsylvania) was also there, and Stelle had something to say about him as well.
"If you look at what he's doing and not what he said in Pittsburgh, you'll see that he's advancing policies like a carbon tax in Pennsylvania that would make electricity much more expensive. He's advancing proposals to increase the amount of subsidies for unreliable resources like solar and wind,” Stelle says.
