Blackouts across the US could double by 2030 if coal and gas plants keep shutting down without replacements, according to a new Trump administration report that was scheduled for release on Monday.
The Energy Department is warning that the US grid is not built to handle the kind of power surge coming from rising AI usage, with data centers pulling more electricity than ever before. It said in a statement that this path would risk economic growth, national security, and the country’s edge in emerging tech.
The report, which reflects President Trump’s energy agenda, claims wind and solar are too unreliable to replace baseload fossil fuel generation. It says the country could see a 100% increase in power outages over the next five years if nothing changes. The department is already using emergency powers to keep some coal and natural gas plants running, citing shortages created by the rapid build-out of AI infrastructure.
AI surge strains power grid as Trump targets green policies
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US must boost fossil fuel production to avoid outages, warning, “If we are going to keep the lights on, win the AI race, and keep electricity prices from skyrocketing, the United States must unleash American energy.” He made the remarks as part of the department’s latest push to prevent further power plant closures.
The warning lines up with Trump’s recent $3.4 trillion fiscal package, which strips tax credits from wind and solar projects. That budget move hit renewables hard, just as solar was growing fast.
Last year, solar energy made up 61% of new energy capacity, about 30 gigawatts, based on Energy Information Administration figures. It was expanding because it’s cheap, easy to deploy, and batteries now store extra power for nighttime use. But that growth now faces major policy roadblocks.
The department says around 100 nuclear reactor equivalents will shut down by 2030, and that could cause “significant outages when weather conditions do not accommodate wind and solar generation.” The report makes it clear: unless more fossil fuel plants are kept alive or new ones built, the grid may not survive the next tech boom.
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