EXCLUSIVE: Howard Lutnick proclaims U.S. will win AI race at AI group launch
The Washington Reporter got the inside look at the launch of the AI Infrastructure Coalition.
The AI Infrastructure Coalition (AIIC) launched this week, and the Washington Reporter has the exclusive details on what industry leaders and Trump administration officials told those who assembled there. As AI regulatory frameworks and energy demands dominate national conversation, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick delivered a resolute declaration: the United States will prevail in the AI race.
“We must be successful in AI...It’s our technology, it’s our stack,” Lutnick declared. “I am telling you, the Trump administration is not going to mess this up.”
The event, attended by key figures from across the political and industry spectrum, underscored the coalition’s mission to foster U.S. leadership in AI development. Co-chaired by former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I., Ariz.) and former Rep. Garret Graves (R., La.), the group positioned itself as a unified voice for stakeholders in the AI ecosystem, including semiconductor manufacturers, energy providers, private equity, data center operators, and AI model developers.
During the event, Graves elaborated on the challenges ahead, stating that “there are three resource constraints in the AI race: data, computing power, and energy. We have a stranglehold on the first two, but America is at an extreme disadvantage when it comes to the third.” Sinema reinforced this urgency, declaring that “under no circumstance can the United States allow China to export the technology of tomorrow and become the world’s AI superpower.”
Secretary Lutnick emphasized the need to bolster domestic energy and semiconductor production. “We’re going to roll out power in America...We’re not going to run low on power... We’re going to build power, we’re going to clear the path for power, we’re going to bring in semi-conductors, and we’re going to make sure America wins,” Lutnick said.
Lutnick outlined ambitious plans for AI tech stack infrastructure, proclaiming that America is “going to build projects that are winners. Nuclear power. How much power? All the power: gas turbines, compressors, transformers, coolants, every piece of that [AI] puzzle.”
AIIC’s membership roster reflects a broad alliance of industry heavyweights, including Andreessen Horowitz, Cisco, Corning, Digital Realty, Duke Energy, Entergy, ExxonMobil, Google, Lumen, Meta, Microsoft, NextEra, PG&E, Pinnacle West and QTS. This diverse composition signals a concerted effort to bridge private sector innovation with public policy, ensuring that AI advancements benefit American workers and bolster national security.
Sen. Dave McCormick (R., Pa..) addressed the group as well, underscoring the urgency of the moment in his remarks. “We are in a race for AI leadership,” he stated, emphasizing the competitive dynamics at play. He further described the initiative as “an AI energy revolution — the absolute most significant public policy issue facing the Administration and Congress.” McCormick called for innovation in governance, noting that “lawmakers must have a willingness to think in new ways” to address these challenges effectively.
Among those in attendance were Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R., Wyo.), and Reps. Jason Smith (R., Mo.), Steny Hoyer (D., Md.), Michael McCaul (R., Texas), Andy Barr (R., Ky.), Josh Gottheimer (D., N.J.), Dusty Johnson (R., S.D.), Henry Cuellar (D., Texas), Vince Fong (R., Calif.), Jeff Crank (R., Colo.), Buddy Carter (R., Ga.), Nicole Malliotakis (R., N.Y.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R., Iowa), Jack Bergman (R., Mich.), Blake Moore (R., Utah), Rich McCormick (R., Ga.) and Dan Crenshaw (R., Texas).