A $100 billion joint venture, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, is set to advance artificial intelligence in the U.S. and will rely partly on renewable energy sources such as solar power and batteries, favored by his climate-focused predecessor.

The Stargate venture, announced on January 23, 2025, involves SoftBank Group Corp., OpenAI, and Oracle Corp. These companies will invest $100 billion to establish infrastructure in the U.S., including data centres for OpenAI. Although executives highlighted a potential $500 billion expansion, they did not specify energy sources for the project.

However, sources familiar with the venture suggest that SB Energy, a SoftBank subsidiary that focuses on solar and battery projects, will play a crucial role in providing some of the digital infrastructure and power generation for Stargate.

A White House spokesperson declined to comment on the venture’s energy plans. While Oracle and SoftBank did not respond to inquiries, OpenAI indicated that it is exploring various options for integrating clean energy into the project. Potential technologies being considered for Stargate include nuclear power, solar, and battery storage.

With the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, the U.S. is expected to need a significant increase in electric capacity. This could benefit energy sources such as natural gas, nuclear, wind, solar, and batteries. While natural gas and nuclear provide continuous power, solar and wind are intermittent, relying on battery storage to supply energy during non-peak periods.

Big tech companies have long championed clean energy for both economic and environmental reasons. Solar and wind are among the least expensive sources of electricity, making them attractive for both cost savings and positive public relations.

 (ET)