# Rich McCormick warns against slowing US AI data center expansion > Source: > Published: 2026-08-23 14:37:10+00:00 Via mccormick.house.gov # Rich McCormick warns against slowing US AI data center expansion The Georgia Republican argues that construction moratoriums on data centers would be 'dangerous' as the US races China for AI supremacy. Representative Rich McCormick wants America to keep building data centers, and he wants it done fast. The Georgia Republican, who chairs the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, appeared on Bloomberg This Weekend to argue that the US should continue expanding its data center footprint to maintain its lead in artificial intelligence. ## The power problem nobody can ignore According to BloombergNEF, US data centers currently consume about 5.9% of the nation’s electricity. That figure is projected to hit roughly 12% by 2030 and climb to approximately 20% by 2035. BloombergNEF estimates data centers could reach around 194 GW of US power demand by 2035. The power-hungry facilities are already clustering in states like Virginia and Texas, which host the largest concentrations of data centers in the country. McCormick addressed these tensions directly during a February 24, 2026 hearing titled “Powering America’s AI Future.” He argued that current permitting and approval processes for infrastructure development need to match the pace of AI advancement rather than act as a brake on it. ## Moratoriums are ‘dangerous,’ McCormick says McCormick has called broad construction moratoriums “dangerous” in the context of the US-China competition over AI technologies. McCormick also sits on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Prior to the February hearing, McCormick participated in a bipartisan AI task force. The current debate in Congress centers on whether to fast-track permitting for data centers and transmission lines or allow local moratoriums to continue limiting construction in certain areas. ## The energy equation and its ripple effects Global tech firms are locking in large-scale power agreements, including deals for nuclear energy, to secure the kind of reliable baseload power that AI workloads demand. Microsoft, Amazon, and Google have all made moves toward nuclear power purchase agreements in the past two years. **Disclosure:** This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our [Editorial Policy](https://cryptobriefing.com/editorial-policy/).