Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI Inc., during a media tour of the Stargate AI data center in Abilene, Texas, USA, on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
Kyle Grillot | Bloomberg | Getty Images
OpenAI said Monday that the United States needs to significantly increase investment in new energy capabilities to stay ahead of China in the race to develop artificial intelligence.
In recent months, the company has secured ambitious infrastructure contracts that require large amounts of electricity. The sprawling data centers will push the limits of what’s possible in the United States at a time when the power grid is already strained.
“Electricity is more than just a utility,” OpenAI said in a blog post on Tuesday. “This is a critical strategic asset in building an AI infrastructure that will secure leadership in the most important technology since electricity itself.”
OpenAI shared an 11-page submission with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in which it encouraged the United States to commit to building 100 gigawatts of new energy capacity each year.
A gigawatt is a unit of electricity, and 10 gigawatts is roughly equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 8 million U.S. homes, according to a CNBC analysis of Energy Information Administration data.
China added 429 gigawatts of new power capacity last year, and the United States added 51 gigawatts, according to OpenAI. The company said this disparity has created an “electronic gap” and puts the U.S. at risk of falling behind.
“Electrons are the new oil,” OpenAI said.
WATCH: OpenAI begins to threaten software stocks
