Manchin, Committee Examine DOE’s Role in Advanced Computing Research and Technology

Washington, DC- Today, the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Joe Manchin (I-WV) convened a full committee hearing to examine the Department of Energy’s (DOE) leadership in advanced computing research, application, and security. During the hearing, Chairman Manchin discussed the need to strengthen the United States’ investment in the research and development of emerging technologies in light of China’s expanding focus and innovation.

“Computing technology is advancing rapidly across the globe, and America must proceed with both ambition and caution, particularly when it comes to our national security and public safety. We can invest smartly in emerging technologies in a cost-effective way by building upon the resources we already have at DOE and its national labs. That is how we will maintain our global lead in scientific innovation.” Chairman Manchin said in his opening remarks. 

“We are now engaged in a new kind of technological race, and America is at a real risk of falling behind to China. For the United States to maintain our position as a global leader, we must accelerate our efforts, because the stakes are nothing short of our economic prosperity and national security,” Chairman Manchin continued. “This is why Senator Murkowski and I have introduced bipartisan legislation to reinforce the artificial intelligence research and development programs at our DOE labs. This bill authorizes the Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence for Science, Security, and Technology, or FASST, initiative at the Department of Energy, which will give the United States the tools to deliver secure and dependable AI solutions.”

The Committee received testimony from Helena Fu, Director of the DOE Office of Critical and Emerging Technologies; Dr. Shaun Gleason, Director of Science-Security Initiative Integration at Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and Dr. Divyansh Kaushik, American Policy Ventures Senior Fellow. 

During the hearing, Chairman Manchin questioned the witnesses on increasing energy capabilities to support emerging AI technologies.

“I am concerned because electric power needs to be available, reliable, and affordable to capitalize on these opportunities, and is currently a major constraint on our ability to become the global leader in AI deployment.  We've seen over 90 gigawatts of coal power retired in the last decade. That's dispatchable, 24/7 power gone. It can't be more clearly demonstrated than PJM’s recent assessment that 40 gigawatts of existing generation are at risk of retirement by 2030, yet only 30 gigawatts of equipment capacity are projected to be added. Take that in comparison, China is bringing on 90 gigawatts online every two years of dispatchable power,” Chairman Manchin said. “Are you concerned that we're not going to be able to energize these data centers, to compete?”

“This is a focus for the Department. We understand the implications of having enough power to power both manufacturing that’s coming back to the United States, electrification of the grid, as well as the data centers and the AI that is going to be needed to train those models in the United States,” said Director Fu. “The Secretary, the entire department, is very focused on this issue. We just recently issued a new website, a new hub for folks who want to work with us on these issues.

“The reality is, over the last six years computational needs of AI systems have grown a million-fold… The parameters have grown in a million-fold. Now, since 2010 we've seen that the number of the computations that we are putting towards AI models is doubling every six months, and there's no reason to believe that that's going to slow down anytime soon,” said Dr. Kuashik. “I think there was a recent Bloomberg article that says it is taking about seven years delay for a completed data center that would require 100 megawatts or more of energy to be connected to the grid in Virginia. Those statistics should raise some alarm amongst us…I think the action that this committee has taken on permitting will have a big impact on that, but we need more.”

Chairman Manchin also questioned the panel on why federal investment in advanced computing technology research is best focused at our national labs rather than re-inventing the wheel elsewhere in the federal government.  

“We as senators, Democrat and Republicans, are looking at how we divide our money up. I don't want to reinvent the wheel, but the bottom line is we worked to avoid duplication in the Chips and Science Act at the behest of DOE and the Labs and intend to do the same here with AI and other emerging technologies. Would you all speak in comparison of what you do with our labs versus NSF,” asked Chairman Manchin.

“Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the lab system really provides world-leading capabilities and world-leading science and technology input to that. For example, we provide the Summit supercomputer as part of the NAIRR effort. We've had lots of people sign up to use that as part of the NAIRR program, and we help them achieve their science and technology objectives, because we have subject matter expertise,” said Dr. Gleason. “Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the lab system really provides world leading capabilities and world leading science and technology input.”

To view the webcast from the hearing, click here. 
To read Chairman Manchin’s full opening statement, click here. 
To read written testimony from Director Fu, click here. 
To read written testimony from Dr. Gleason, click here. 
To read written testimony from Dr. Kaushik, click here.