That's the U.S. government's own language. An arms race.

Artificial intelligence is no longer framed as a research project or an economic opportunity. It is being cast as a struggle for survival and global power, a modern Manhattan Project.

Yet just last week, on Aug. 26, the Congressional Research Service released a Frequently Asked Questions memo designed to help lawmakers get on the same page about the basics: what a data center is, how many exist, and how much electricity data centers consume.

If even government institutions are still in the process of aligning their understanding, it's clear that citizens will need to move quickly to understand what is happening and to understand what it means for their daily lives.

The memo laid out in plain language what many assumed lawmakers already understood.

A data center is a specialized building that houses thousands of servers. There are about seven thousand worldwide, with the largest concentration in the United States, especially in Northern Virginia and Texas. In 2022, American data centers consumed about 176 terawatt-hours of electricity—roughly 4 percent of all U.S. demand, more than many entire states. Projections suggest an additional 35 to 108 gigawatts of demand by 2030. The midpoint estimate, 50 gigawatts, is enough to power every home in California. 

The very fact that such a memo was necessary highlights a structural reality: the pace of technological build out is outstripping the pace of legislative comprehension. If institutions themselves are still catching up, it underscores how important it is for citizens to get informed now, before the costs mount even higher.

While Congress is being briefed on "Data Centers 101," the executive branch has been preparing all year for the AI race that is already underway:

On January 20, 2025, the White House declared a National Energy Emergency.

On April 8, an order was issued to strengthen grid reliability, with the Department of Energy (DOE) tasked to model how AI demand would reshape the grid.