Trump seeks to speed up big power projects to meet artificial intelligence needs

The Trump administration is seeking to accelerate the development of power plants, transmission lines and other energy projects to help meet growing demand for electricity in artificial intelligence and manufacturing. The plan comes as energy demand is expected to grow faster than the existing grid, the U.S. Department of Energy said Thursday. The agency said it is seeking to leverage its technical know-how and billions of dollars in financial support, and has asked the National Office of Energy, utilities and other agencies to help identify large-scale power and grid projects. At the same time, the agency warned of blackouts if coal and gas-fired power plants continue to shut down amid rapidly growing demand for electricity. The Trump administration has also moved aggressively to block solar and wind projects in federal terrestrial waters.