Trump’s Call for Doubling U.S. Energy Capacity Is a Wake-Up Call for American Innovation

By Michael D. Farkas 

Gas prices, grid instability, and global supply chains are all under stress. If the U.S. does not start investing in American-made energy infrastructure, we risk falling behind China permanently.

In a recent speech, President Donald Trump called for the United States to double its energy capacity, warning that America is dangerously dependent on foreign infrastructure and materials to power its economy. He is not wrong.

Today, America faces a perfect storm: rising energy costs, an aging grid, and an AI revolution that is pushing demand beyond what our current infrastructure can support. At the center of this pressure is a quiet truth. The data centers, cloud computing systems, and high-performance AI models that are reshaping every sector of the economy all rely on steady, massive energy supplies, and the grid is not ready.

This is not just a tech issue. It is a national security risk. A report from the Center for a New American Security warns that an overreliance on foreign supply chains for clean energy tech leaves the U.S. vulnerable to strategic disruption.

The United States has outsourced too much of its energy infrastructure, from hardware to materials to software. We are seeing a repeat of what happened with semiconductors. Over reliance on foreign production led to disruptions and delays. We cannot afford that vulnerability in our power grid.

Doubling energy capacity cannot just mean more wells or more panels. It has to mean smarter distribution, local resiliency, and real-time efficiency. That starts with integrating technologies that are already available, including AI-optimized grid controls, smart microgrid systems, and bi-directional wireless EV Charging that adjust to demand and reduce waste.

American companies working in this space deserve support and investment. One example is NextNRG, where we have developed the Next Utility Operating System and patented microgrid platforms that help generate and distribute energy more efficiently. These kinds of solutions could save the world up to $400 billion annually by cutting down on inefficiencies in how energy is moved and used.

Public-private partnerships will be critical. The federal government has a chance to support clean energy not just by expanding generation, but by modernizing how energy is generated and distributed. Permitting reform, funding for grid upgrades, and incentives for AI-integrated energy systems can help make doubling capacity both affordable and secure.

We need to stop thinking of the grid as a fixed system. It should be adaptive, decentralized, and intelligent. AI is not just a driver of demand. It can also be a tool to manage that demand more effectively.

This is not a partisan issue. Whether motivated by national security, economic growth, or climate resilience, building a smarter, more secure energy system should unite lawmakers and innovators.

If America will meet the moment, it must go beyond slogans. It must identify, support, and scale the technologies and companies that will deliver a modern energy grid. Doubling capacity is a goal worth pursuing, but only if we are smart about how we build it.

Michael Farkas is the CEO of NextNRG Inc.