From left, Paige Lambermont, research fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Marsden Hanna, head of energy and sustainability policy for Google, and Eric Masanet, UC Santa Barbara professor testify during the House Science and Technology Committee Investigations and Oversight Subcomittee hearing on “Powering America’s AI Future: Assessing Policy Options to Increase Data Center Infrastructure” in the Rayburn House Office Building on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The Energy Department’s Oak Ridge National Lab launched an institute to optimize data centers, and the Pacific Northwest National Lab issued an RFI to inform future buildouts.
The U.S. Department of Energy building is seen behind a sign marking the location of the agency’s headquarters on March 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by J.David Ake/Getty Images)
The agency seeks information on how the consortium can fuel “self-improving” models that pull in scientific data from national laboratories and provide access to other partners.
Public-private partnerships with AMD and HPE will bring the machines to the national lab in Tennessee, including one in early 2026 built at “record speeds.”
Tech leaders at Lawrence Livermore and Oak Ridge detail how their facilities are embracing AI — while being realists about the technology’s limitations.
