POLITICO Energy

The Trump administration wants tech companies to start building AI data centers on America’s public lands. But that push is creating political tension in the western United States, putting some Republicans at odds with the Trump administration just weeks before the midterm elections. POLITICO’s Ian Stevenson explains why President Donald Trump is pushing to build data centers on public lands, the political and local pushback, and what’s next. Plus, FEMA's chief tells states to prepare to handle disasters largely on their own, and a rare earths company plans a major new plant in upstate New York.

Ian Stevenson covers energy as well as public lands and the Interior Department for POLITICO.

Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and executive producer of POLITICO Energy.

Tolu Oluwadiya is a video producer at POLITICO.

Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO.

Debra Kahn is the editorial director for energy and environmental coverage at POLITICO.

Veronica Tejera is the deputy head of Audio/Video at POLITICO.

Our theme music is by Pran Bandi.

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Today, POLITICO Energy co-host Arianna Skibell sits down for an extended interview with Todd Snitchler, president and CEO of the Electric Power Supply Association. They discuss how power companies and grid operators are addressing surging energy demand driven by data centers and manufacturing, how utilities are trying to assess how much of the demand is real or speculative, and how utilities and federal energy regulators are planning to manage data centers' impact on the grid.

The race for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, the state’s powerful oil and gas regulator, has turned into an unexpected nail-biter. Democratic state Rep. Jon Rosenthal is touting his industry credentials and commonsense policy proposals as he battles controversial Republican candidate Bo French. POLITICO’s Mike Lee breaks down Rosenthal’s pitch to voters and the potential national implications if he pulls off the upset.

Today, POLITICO Energy co-host Zack Colman sits down for an extended interview with Marsden Hanna, the head of energy and sustainability policy at Google. They discuss how the tech giant plans to power its AI data centers and the company’s 2030 net-zero climate goal, the need for the bipartisan Senate permitting bill and the potential for new scrutiny from Democrats on the hill over its energy use and climate commitments.

How much do voters care about energy and climate heading into the 2026 midterms? POLITICO Energy co-host Nirmal Mulaikal sits down for an extended interview with Geoff Garin, president of Hart Research, a leading Democratic public opinion research and strategic messaging firm. They explore how voters are weighing energy and climate issues ahead of the elections, how Democrats and Republicans are messaging on those topics, and what voters may want Democrats to do about energy if they regain control of Congress.

Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and executive producer of POLITICO Energy.

Yi-Jo Shen is a freelance video producer for POLITICO.

Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO.

Debra Kahn is the editorial director for energy and environmental coverage at POLITICO.

Veronica Tejera is the deputy head of Audio/Video at POLITICO.

Our theme music is by Pran Bandi.

Follow the show on Apple, Spotify, Youtube and Instagram.

Follow POLITICO here:

➤ X: https://x.com/politico/

➤ Instagram: / politico

➤ Facebook: / politico

For more reporting on energy and the environment, subscribe to Power Switch, our free evening newsletter: https://www.politico.com/power-switch

And for even deeper coverage and analysis, read our Morning Energy newsletter by subscribing to POLITICO Pro: https://subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter-archive/morning-energy