According to the latest report from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an indispensable tool that tech companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, and others are racing to dominate and lead with across the U.S. 4q24l

The main limitation, according to SEIA, is how much AI can be powered, considering the torrent of energy it requires.

From transportation and cybersecurity to healthcare and finance, America's economic and technological competitiveness now depends on how efficiently companies can scale AI capabilities through data centers.

The U.S. Department of Energy predicts that data center energy demand could triple by 2028, creating unique challenges for the country’s power grid. Data centers are rapidly spreading across the country, and they require a reliable, consistent, fast-to-build, cost-effective, and easily deployable electricity source.

To meet this growing demand, the combination of solar energy and battery storage is the obvious solution. Solar is the most affordable source of electricity generation in the U.S. It's easily scalable and deployable to virtually any location. It is by far the fastest to build and has more projects in development than any other energy source combined.

That’s why tech giants are massively incorporating solar energy and storage. Seven of the ten largest corporate solar buyers are tech and data companies. These companies understand that cost and speed to market are the two most critical factors in the AI race — and no other generation source can match solar + storage on those fronts. These projects are already shovel-ready and will help keep the grid reliable, energy bills low, and the engine of innovation running.

OpenAI

In January, former President Trump and OpenAI announced a $100 billion initiative called Stargate to develop AI-focused data center infrastructure in the U.S. The strategic alliance between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank Group will rely on massive solar and storage projects built by SB Energy, a SoftBank-backed company.

Microsoft

Microsoft is harnessing solar energy to power its data center demand across dozens of U.S. locations. In February alone, the company contracted 389 megawatts (MW) from three separate solar facilities in Illinois and Texas. In March, Microsoft added new solar generation facilities in Illinois, Michigan, and Missouri through a partnership with developer AES. These new projects will add 475 MW of capacity to Microsoft’s already extensive 34-gigawatt (GW) solar portfolio.

Meta

Meta operates one of the largest corporate clean energy portfolios in the world. This year alone, the tech giant has significantly expanded its solar portfolio in Texas, g a 200 MW solar deal with Engie, a 505 MW project with Cypress Creek Renewables, and another 200 MW agreement with RWE — all based in Texas.

Amazon

Amazon holds the largest corporate solar project portfolio of any company in the U.S., with 13.6 GW of solar energy currently under development. For perspective, only three U.S. states — California, Texas, and Florida — have more than 13 GW of total solar capacity in operation. Amazon is also heavily investing in Texas, with more than 20 active projects in the state, including a 500 MW solar farm in Webb County, Texas.

Google

Google is investing heavily in clean energy, particularly energy storage, and currently leads the industry with 312 MW of operational storage capacity. To power its data centers, Google has signed a $20 billion deal with Intersect Power to develop co-located energy parks, where data centers will share land with clean energy generation and storage infrastructure.

Innovation put the U.S. at the forefront of the information age. Now, as emerging technologies reshape the race for global tech dominance, America must invest in reliable, affordable, and domestic energy sources like solar and storage to drive advanced computing and maintain leadership in future technologies.