WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following op-ed by Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, appeared in the Washington Examiner this week.
“When the Wright brothers laid down 60 feet of wooden track in the North Carolina sand dunes and launched America into the age of flight, they could not have imagined the broader possibilities for human ingenuity and thriving that their innovation would unlock.
“Today, artificial intelligence is at a similar inflection point, a budding innovation that is already ushering in the future of technology, while many applications and effects remain unknown. That’s why I’ve made responsible AI innovation a central focus of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
“The country that lays the foundation for the AI economy will define the next century, and Congress has a responsibility to position America as the global leader. To ensure the United States wins this race, legislation such as the Ratepayer Protection Act will be needed to provide a pathway — protecting our communities from increased costs and ensuring that hardworking families aren’t the ones paying for the electricity needed to power this new technology.
“While we have a national interest in facilitating AI innovation, it should be the tech companies that are building data centers and creating demand for electricity — not American families footing the bill for increased costs stemming from new investments.
“In communities across the country, from northern Virginia to central Ohio to the Upper Midwest, Utah, and California, we have heard both the promises of economic development and the concerns about whether Big Tech companies are being good neighbors and developing data centers responsibly. To be sure, engaging with residents who live alongside data centers is essential. Data center builders need to make the case in each community they enter for expanding the local tax base, creating jobs, and addressing concerns about water and electricity use.
“While data center construction is fundamentally a local concern, the integral nature of AI development and deployment is deeply entwined with America’s national interests, which is why we at the Energy and Commerce Committee are working on policies that will both protect American families and push the members of this growing industry to work hand in hand with our communities and businesses. This is both a federal and local responsibility.
“For example, when a major new buyer of electricity, such as a data center, comes onto the grid, new power generation, transmission lines, and local grid upgrades are often required to meet its energy demands. But the processing power of the data centers directly underpins the growth and operation of the national economy, entering the federal stream of commerce from each location that comes online.
“The benefits span the entire American economy, but the companies spurring the growth still owe it to families in rural communities to make sure they’re covering local costs.
“This is a common-sense approach to protect our communities from rising costs, and while it’s critical that we safeguard against price hikes on hardworking families, we cannot afford to stop this buildout.
“We are locked in a race with China to innovate, not a race with Europe to regulate.
“The risks of stopping infrastructure construction far outweigh the costs. Data centers are the foundation of the modern internet, and keeping that processing power here at home is essential to ensuring that American technology continues to set the global standard.
“The reality is that if we don’t build data centers in the U.S., they will get built in China or other countries where Americans have few privacy and environmental protections. Our society already relies on data centers for the cloud computing that supports the internet and makes modern life possible. From medical records that can be shared instantly to the photos and emails on our phones, so much of what we take for granted in our digital economy already relies on this vital infrastructure.
“Our adversaries in Beijing fundamentally understand this, and over the past decade, China has poured billions of dollars into building digital infrastructure across Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Now, China plans to spend roughly $295 billion over the next five years on a nationwide network of data centers to power AI.
“In order to ensure our industry leaders set the technical standards for AI and drive the strongest global growth, U.S. companies must be able to show the benefits to consumers that artificial intelligence can deliver, including fast and reliable medical diagnoses and treatment recommendations, cybersecurity and electrical grid protections, and even the early detection of wildfires, just to name a few that our committee has examined.
“Those who call for a full ban on building AI infrastructure, and data centers in particular, fail to understand the moment that we find ourselves in today. Such a ban today would be akin to prohibiting the building of railroads amid the Industrial Revolution and would leave our communities and economy behind.
“Americans can agree: While we need proper guardrails in place, we should not slow innovation to allow Chinese Communist Party-aligned companies to prosper, some of which are already using the technology to surveil ethnic minorities and intimidate their opponents.
“To the companies that are leading the way in developing AI, we should offer a simple agreement. Build here, hire here, pay your own way, and in turn, we can ensure predictable regulations, reliable power, and the most talented workforce in the world.
“American success is not predetermined. It is pursued in a new way with every generation. From the space race to the advancements of the internet and the digital economy, when Americans compete, we win. The mistake would be to never try in the first place.”