Anthropic Build AI in America Energy Report

Anthropic has released the "Build AI in America" report, calling for substantial investments in computing power and electricity to ensure the United States maintains global leadership in artificial intelligence. The report argues that the U.S. must urgently address regulatory barriers and energy capacity to support the training and deployment of frontier AI models.

The Energy Demand for Frontier AI

To maintain global AI leadership, the U.S. AI sector will require at least 50GW of electric capacity by 2028. This demand is driven by both the training of next-generation models and the daily operational needs of AI inference.

Projected Power Requirements

Anthropic projects that the energy needs for single advanced AI models will scale rapidly:

  • 2027: 2GW data centers will be required for single model training.
  • 2028: 5GW data centers will be required for single model training.

Across the entire U.S. industry, Anthropic expects total frontier AI training demands to reach 20-25GW by 2028. When combined with the power required for inference, the total capacity requirement reaches the 50GW threshold. For scale, this training demand alone is roughly twice the peak electricity demand of New York City.

The Competitive Landscape

Anthropic highlights a significant disparity in energy infrastructure growth between the U.S. and China. Last year, China added over 400 gigawatts of power capacity, while the U.S. added only several dozen gigawatts.

Strategic Recommendations for Energy Infrastructure

Anthropic advocates for an "all of the above" energy approach to ensure firm, reliable power. This includes maximizing the potential of next-generation geothermal and advanced nuclear technologies alongside existing sources.

Pillar 1: Large-Scale AI Training Infrastructure

This pillar focuses on the immediate needs of frontier model development through the following actions:

  • Federal Land Use: Making federal lands available for AI infrastructure to bypass lengthy state and local zoning processes.
  • Regulatory Acceleration: Speeding up National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes, including conducting advance reviews of projects.
  • Grid Interconnection: Partnering with the private sector to expedite power line upgrades and leveraging federal authorities to ensure timely interconnections for projects critical to national security.

Pillar 2: Nationwide AI Innovation Infrastructure

This pillar focuses on the broader ecosystem and supply chain to support AI deployment across all sectors:

  • Permitting Reform: Accelerating permitting for nuclear, natural gas, and geothermal energy.
  • Transmission Corridors: Establishing National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors to speed permitting in high-growth AI data center regions.
  • Supply Chain Security: Using loan guarantees and strategic reserves to strengthen the domestic production of gas turbines and critical grid components.
  • Workforce Development: Expanding apprenticeship and training programs for electricians, construction workers, and critical energy workers.

Policy and Regulatory Goals

Anthropic suggests that the U.S. can maintain low prices for ratepayers while increasing overall supply through regulatory authority and the proposed infrastructure reforms. Additionally, the report proposes a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers "nationwide permit" for AI data centers to streamline Clean Water Act reviews.

Sources

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