Dr. Ann Bluntzer Pullin, executive director of the Hamm Institute, speaks at the Powering AI: Global Leadership Summit.

National leaders convene to address energy imperative behind America’s AI revolution

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Media Contact: Dara McBee | Hamm Institute for American Energy | 580-350-7248 | dara.mcbee@hamminstitute.org

In a landmark event, leaders from technology, energy and academia convened Thursday at Oklahoma State University’s Hamm Institute for American Energy for the Powering AI: Global Leadership Summit.

The one-day, high-level summit focused on solving one of the most pressing challenges of our time: how to power the explosive growth of artificial intelligence with reliable, scalable American energy.

Hosted by the Hamm Institute, the summit marks the first time these three critical industries have united to build a collaborative strategy for the AI age. In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, attendees focused on the infrastructure, power systems and policy innovation needed to support the U.S. as a global leader in artificial intelligence and big data.

“AI is advancing faster than our infrastructure. If America wants to lead in AI, it must also lead in energy,” said Dr. Ann Bluntzer Pullin, executive director of the Hamm Institute. “This summit is about alignment, getting the right people in the right room to make sure innovation doesn’t outpace our ability to sustain it.”

Four U.S. cabinet members participated in the discussions, including:

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin

“The Powering AI: Global Leadership Summit brought together forward-thinking leaders from across industry and government who understand a simple truth — America must unleash American energy and innovation to lead in AI development. The Department of Energy is working with our counterparts at USDA and EPA to advance a strategy of energy addition — expanding energy production, modernizing infrastructure and ensuring the U.S. has the capacity to drive and dominate the next era of global technological advancement,” Wright said.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin speak at the Hamm Institute for American Energy.

Rollins reinforced the readiness of the USDA to help lead the way in this burgeoning movement.

“We have hit the ground running at USDA. Through bold leadership to prioritize rural prosperity, support biofuels, reform permitting, and streamline regulations, this administration is putting America first. I am proud to serve alongside a remarkable cabinet who is determined to ensure America's prosperity for generations to come," Rollins said.

While natural gas and gas-powered turbines emerged as the leading near-term solutions to meet surging energy demands, the summit also spotlighted other dependable sources — such as nuclear and geothermal — as vital components of a long-term, diversified energy strategy.

Zeldin invited attendees to share their ideas on how the federal government could facilitate energy industry growth.

“I want every single idea that you have, no matter how large it is, no matter how small it is,” he said.

One of the leading voices in AI, Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark, was also a featured speaker. The company was founded by former members of OpenAI and is responsible for creating Claude, a popular generative AI platform with nearly 19 million monthly users.

“AI is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible—but without the infrastructure to scale it, we’re only scratching the surface,” Clark said. “By building capacity now, we position the United States to lead in an era where computational intelligence becomes a defining element of national strength and societal wellbeing.”

Bob Pender, Venture Global executive co-chairman and founder, said U.S. oil and natural gas producers and energy providers are ready to meet the challenge.

“It was an honor to share the stage today with leaders and decision makers on the future of energy demand and AI,” he said. “The world demands more energy now than ever before, in large part due to AI, and Venture Global stands ready to work with government and industry partners to continue delivering American LNG the world needs.”

Attendees and organizers emphasized that this is just the beginning of a national initiative to position America as the leader in the global AI frontier. Insights from the summit will serve as a strategic blueprint for meeting rising power demands with scalable and reliable energy solutions.

The presenting sponsors for the day were GBS, ONEOK, Devon Energy and Continental Resources.