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Hrkman, Lou (Louis) Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:54:29 +0000 Leahy, Michael RE: Chevron CEO OpEd: Powering Al
Michael, Thanks for sending, I could not agree more with this:
Equally important is to ensure Al power demand doesn't drive up electricity costs for consumers. We can develop natural gas-based power generation independent of the current electric grid and co-locate it with data centers across the country. Providing this dedicated electricity prevents a competition for grid-connected power, which would drive up costs and burden our already strained electricity grid.
Renewables are the wrong type of energy we need for datacenters, I wish some one would inform Dems on the Hill to this fact. Thanks LOU
Lou Hrkman
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy U.S. Department of Energy 1000 Independence Ave, SW Washington, DC , 20024 (b) (6)
U .S . DEPARTM ENT OF
ENERGY
From: Leahy, Michael <(b) (6)
>
Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2025 10:27 AM
To: Hrkman, Lou (Louis) <lou.hrkman@ee.doe.gov>
Subject: [EXTERNAL) Chevron CEO OpEd : Powering Al
Hi Lou! It's been too long. I hope all is well with you!
I was thinking of our chat at CERAWeek and wanted to share Chevron CEO Mike Wirth's OpEd in Fox News this morning. Mike hits on powering Al - and the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Wright in enabling America to lead and win.
If you have any questions or there's anything we can do to help, please do not hesitate to reach out. Thank you for your support! Respectfully, Michael (b) (6)
Trump brings leaders together to fuel Al revolution with American energy I Fox News
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https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/america-has-power-lead-ai-revolution-leadershipmake-happen
America has the power to lead the Al revolution - and the leadership to make it happen
By Mike Wirth
Published July 15, 2025 Fox News
America has triumphed in each industrial revolution - whether steel, energy or manufacturing - and has the power to lead the Al revolution, too. This week in Pittsburgh, President Donald Trump is bringing together leaders to address a defining challenge of our time: how to fuel the Al revolution with American energy.
Progress on this front will be consequential for our economy, our national security, and America's global leadership.
President Trump's announced $500 billion private sector Al investment is a critical enabler for our country. But artificial intelligence won't power itself. It needs vast amounts of electricity, delivered affordably and reliably.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after signing a series of executive orders, including one related to artificial intelligence, in the Oval Office of the White House on Jan. 23, 2025.
And as demand for Al computing surges, the real question isn't just about who writes the best code - it's also about who can build out data center infrastructure behind it. The U.S. has the unique
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capability to do that - including the energy dominance to fuel it - and we now have the political will to lead.
U.S. policy has often prioritized climate idealism over energy pragmatism. Wind, solar and battery technologies will play a key role in our energy future, but they are not available at the scale or reliability needed to fuel expected Al data center demand. And these combined sources are more expensive than U.S. natural gas.
Without a balanced and clear-eyed approach, we risk pushing Al innovation - and the economic and national security advantages that come with it - overseas .
Other countries are already trying to lure investment away from the United States by subsidizing Al computing power. In China, dozens of data centers are being built - 39 approved in the last quarter of 2024 alone. In Malaysia, authorities are fast-tracking electricity infrastructure for data centers, cutting lead times to just 12 months, compared to five years in the U.S. Some American companies are already helping to finance data center growth in the Middle East.
The path to powering America's Al dominance is rooted in abundant American natural gas. The United States is already by far the world leader, accounting for a quarter of global natural gas production. And we are also one of the lowest-cost producers.
Equally important is to ensure Al power demand doesn't drive up electricity costs for consumers. We can develop natural gas-based power generation independent of the current electric grid and colocate it with data centers across the country. Providing this dedicated electricity prevents a competition for grid-connected power, which would drive up costs and burden our already strained electricity grid.
New solutions like this require creative partnerships and continued innovation - which is why Chevron is working with Engine No. 1 and GE Vernova to establish facilities designed to provide reliable, affordable, long-term power-generating solutions to underpin American Al leadership.
President Donald Trump, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa. , recognize the opportunity for the United States to achieve Al dominance. By leveraging abundant American natural gas as a foundation to meet surging Al power demand, we can strengthen our national security, grow our economy and protect our technology leadership.
We have the power to lead the race to develop and deploy Al. It's time to use it.
Mike Wirth is the chairman and CEO of Chevron Corporation.
Michael B. Leahy
Manager, Federal & International Government Affairs
(b) (6)
Chevron
600 13th Street NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20005-3027
Mobile (b) (6)
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