Follow the $70 Billion Why Trump’s AI and Energy Plan Could Spark the Next Big Trade

On July 16, Donald Trump is heading to Pittsburgh with a headline-grabbing announcement. He’s set to unveil a $70 billion investment plan targeting two hot zones in the U.S. economy: AI and energy.

But this isn’t just another campaign stop. This summit, hosted at Carnegie Mellon University by GOP Senator Dave McCormick, has drawn in some of the biggest names in tech and energy: Larry Fink from BlackRock, Alex Karp from Palantir, Dario Amodei from Anthropic, Darren Woods from ExxonMobil, and Mike Wirth from Chevron. The name of the event? The Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit — the first of its kind in the U.S.

The real question isn’t what Trump’s announcing. It’s why now, why this mix of AI and energy, and who stands to benefit.

AI Can’t Scale Without Power And That’s the Whole Point

Here’s the simple truth behind the headline: AI can’t grow without electricity. All the viral ChatGPT prompts and image generators you see online? They’re powered by massive data centers running 24/7, filled with GPUs and servers that suck up a huge amount of power.

And the numbers are staggering. According to BloombergNEF, U.S. data centers currently use about 3.5% of the country’s electricity — but that number could more than double to 8.6% by 2035. That’s not a distant future. That’s one infrastructure bill away.

The U.S. power grid, already under stress, isn’t ready for that kind of load. So this new $70 billion plan is designed to fix that—by expanding power generation, upgrading the grid, and building more data centers.

But here’s the twist: this isn’t traditional government spending. Trump’s approach is all about making private capital do the heavy lifting. That means rolling back regulations, fast-tracking permits, and creating enough financial incentives for companies to jump in.

This Could Be the Next Big Trade and Smart Money Is Already Moving

I see three major sectors poised to benefit from this plan. Think of them as the AI power triangle—where data, energy, and infrastructure intersect.

The AI Data Center Supply Chain Is Heating Up Fast

We’re about to see data centers treated like 21st-century railroads—essential infrastructure with massive capital inflows.

The companies that design, build, and equip data centers will be key. That includes server makers (like Supermicro), chip suppliers (like $NVDA and $AMD), cooling system providers, and electrical backup manufacturers (like $GNRC Generac). Engineering giants like $FLR and $J could also be in play as builders.

Energy Giants Are Back and Nuclear Is Taking Center Stage

Trump’s energy pitch is unapologetically traditional: coal, natural gas, and nuclear. Climate activists may not love it, but from a grid stability perspective, it makes a lot of sense—especially as AI strains the system.

Among these, nuclear energy stands out. It’s the only low-emissions source that can provide large-scale, round-the-clock power. The Biden administration has been slowly warming to it, but Trump’s plan may accelerate things with federal intervention. The Department of Energy has already used emergency powers to keep two nuclear plants from shutting down.

Here’s how the nuclear supply chain breaks down:

Upstream: Uranium mining and enrichment, with companies like $CCJ and $UUUU leading the space.
Midstream: Small Modular Reactor ($SMR) developers like NuScale (already public), X-energy (backed by Sam Altman), and $OKLO (focused on a vertically integrated model).
Downstream: Utilities operating nuclear power plants and selling energy, such as $CEG and $DUK .

BlackRock Is Jumping In Early and That Says a Lot

At the summit, BlackRock President Jon Gray is expected to announce a $25 billion investment into data centers and energy infrastructure. This includes a joint venture to ramp up electricity production, creating an estimated 6,000 construction jobs a year, plus 3,000 permanent ones.

If you’re wondering whether private capital is buying into the AI-power thesis—this is your answer.

Why Now and Why Trump

So why is this happening now?

Three reasons stand out.

First, AI is hitting a wall—and that wall is energy. The U.S. can’t keep scaling large language models and video generation tools without a serious upgrade to its power infrastructure.

Second, Trump’s political alliances run deep in the fossil fuel and utility sectors. By championing coal, gas, and nuclear, he’s reinforcing those ties and contrasting himself with the Biden administration’s green energy focus.

Third, Pennsylvania is a swing state with a strong energy base. This announcement isn’t just policy—it’s also strategy. By delivering a pro-jobs, pro-energy message in Pittsburgh, Trump is trying to lock down key votes ahead of 2025.

This Looks a Lot Like a Private Sector Version of the Inflation Reduction Act

What we’re watching here isn’t just an AI policy. It’s shaping up to be Trump’s version of a stimulus bill, but one that leans on Wall Street instead of Washington.

The logic is clever: use AI’s growing power needs as a pretext to drive industrial investment, bring back traditional energy players, and position America’s infrastructure as the new national security frontier.

For investors, this isn’t about chasing hype. It’s about following the money: who gets the projects, who wins the permits, who locks in contracts.

If this plays out like I expect, the next wave of AI growth won’t be driven by apps—it’ll be powered by utilities, steel, uranium, transformers, and semiconductors.