During an appearance on Breitbart News Daily, Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) outlined Pennsylvania’s potential to lead the nation in energy and artificial intelligence innovations.
McCormick recalled his first call with former President Trump after winning the election: “Hey, how can I help you?” Trump responded, so McCormick invited him to the National Wrestling Championships in Pittsburgh in February. During that visit, McCormick pitched an Energy and Innovation Summit, invoking Trump’s “I’m elected to serve the people of Pittsburgh, not Paris” stance from his presidency.
McCormick emphasized Pennsylvania’s strategic position as the nation’s second-largest energy producer and home to the fourth-largest natural gas reserves globally. “We have nuclear power. We have coal. We have oil. We have huge natural gas reserves. And AI requires a huge amount of energy,” he noted, forecasting that America’s energy demand will triple over the next 15 years driven by the AI boom.
He added that the commonwealth is uniquely equipped to support this transformation: Pennsylvania has a skilled workforce—electricians, pipefitters, and steamfitters—crucial for building data centers, along with a collection of top-tier universities fostering innovation.
The summit, held at Carnegie Mellon University on July 15, 2025, drew Trump, his cabinet, more than 60 major energy, technology, and investment CEOs, labor leaders, and Governor Josh Shapiro—all in a bipartisan showcase. McCormick highlighted that the gathering “accomplished three goals,” including announcing $92 billion in investments for data centers, nuclear power, and energy infrastructure in Pennsylvania. The influx of media coverage emphasized that Pennsylvania is leading this critical energy and tech revolution.
He concluded by underscoring how these developments will benefit working families in Pennsylvania: “This is going to help the people that voted for us. This is going to help the working families in Pennsylvania who we promise to create opportunity for.”
