Political consultant Garrett Fulce joins the podcast to discuss how Texas is leveraging its history of aggressive infrastructure development to lead the national data center boom. He breaks down common misconceptions regarding energy and water consumption and explains why states must lean into digital infrastructure to stay competitive in the AI era.

The Powering America Podcast episode discusses the future of the Heartland Flyer, an Amtrak train connecting Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas.

Despite achieving record ridership and revenue, the train faces potential shutdown due to Texas not securing funding in its budget. The episode highlights the significance of the Heartland Flyer as a vital transportation option for many residents and its role in events like the annual Red River Rivalry football game.

Ross Eisenberg, president of America's Plastic Makers (APM), American Chemistry Council, discusses the Recycled Materials Attribution Act, a bipartisan bill that would establish federal standards for advanced recycling and provide regulatory certainty for manufacturers using recycled content.

Eisenberg explains how advanced recycling technologies can process hard-to-recycle plastics, support a more circular economy, reduce landfill waste, and potentially create thousands of jobs while expanding U.S. manufacturing capacity.

An economic analysis released by APM found that redirecting 50% of plastics in the municipal solid waste stream from landfills to recycling facilities could support 173,200 jobs, $12.8 billion in annual payroll, and $48.7 billion in annual economic output nationwide.

The same analysis projected that recycling facilities alone would directly generate $16.4 billion in economic output and support more than 43,000 direct jobs nationwide.

As Congress considers H.R. 7502, the "Recycled Materials Attribution Act," David Clement, Policy Director at the Consumer Choice Center, discusses the economic and environmental significance of advanced recycling and plastics policy.

H.R. 7502, introduced Feb. 12 by U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy, would establish a federal framework for recycled-content marketing claims and direct the Federal Trade Commission to update its Green Guides. In this podcast, Clement emphasizes the importance of advanced recycling technologies, such as chemical depolymerization, which can transform non-recyclable plastics into new products.

Paul Gessing, President of the Rio Grande Foundation, discusses the political and economic landscape of New Mexico's energy sector. He explains how "microgrids" are becoming a genius solution for powering energy-intensive data centers without straining the public grid or raising costs for residents.

Wayne Winegarden, Senior Fellow at the Pacific Research Institute, joins the show to discuss why starving the coal industry of capital creates a more fragile and expensive energy grid. He details the hidden economic costs of aggressive energy policy in California and explains why coal remains a critical "dispatchable" resource when renewables and natural gas face supply shocks.

Ross Marchand, executive director of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, said data centers are critical infrastructure supporting the modern digital economy and the growth of artificial intelligence. He argued that public concerns about water and electricity usage are often overstated and lack context, noting that data centers account for a small share of national electricity use and can be less resource-intensive than other industries.

Marchand warned that restrictive state and local policies, along with regulatory uncertainty, are slowing U.S. development and could put the country at a disadvantage compared to global competitors like China. The Taxpayers Protection Alliance is a nonprofit organization that advocates for lower taxes, limited government, and increased accountability in public policy.

On the Powering America Podcast, Steve Cortes, president and founder of the League of American Workers, argues that large-scale wind energy projects are inefficient, costly, and environmentally harmful, calling them a "multi-billion dollar scam" that depends on subsidies and redundant fossil fuel backup systems.

He contends that wind turbines fail to produce consistent, economically viable energy and often require extensive transmission that leads to power loss. Cortes contrasts this with natural gas, which he describes as abundant, reliable, and cleaner-burning, positioning it as the most practical solution for meeting U.S. energy demands in the near and medium term.

He also highlights policy barriers—particularly at the state level—that limit infrastructure development like pipelines, despite growing energy needs tied to industrial expansion and emerging technologies.

Cortes previously served as a senior advisor to former President Donald Trump and has produced documentaries focused on economic and energy policy.

The League of American Workers is an organization focused on promoting policies related to domestic industry, energy independence, and U.S. workers.

In this episode of the Powering America Podcast, host Bryan Hyde speaks with Bill Beard, Municipal Affairs Liaison at the Goldwater Institute, about the growing role of data centers in the modern economy and the policy debates surrounding them. Beard explains that data centers are essentially the digital equivalent of libraries—critical infrastructure that powers everything from smartphones to cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

The conversation explores common concerns about energy use, water consumption, and environmental impact, with Beard arguing that technological advancements are making data centers more efficient through innovations like closed-loop cooling systems and alternative water sources. He also highlights how consistent energy demand from data centers can stabilize power grids and potentially align with emerging solutions like small modular nuclear reactors.

Beyond infrastructure, the episode dives into the broader implications of AI, with Beard emphasizing its potential to accelerate breakthroughs in areas like healthcare. The discussion ultimately returns to foundational principles, including property rights and free market dynamics, which Beard says are often missing from public conversations about energy and infrastructure development.

This episode offers a grounded, policy-focused look at how data centers fit into America's economic future—and why they may be more essential than many realize.

You can find the data center report that Bill mentioned below.

https://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/policy-report/data-centers/

In Part 2 of this conversation, Polar LNG President Joel Riddle expands on the economic, strategic, and national security implications of developing liquefied natural gas on Alaska's North Slope. He outlines how the project could generate billions in investment, create thousands of jobs across the United States, and drive long-term economic growth in Alaska through tax revenues, royalties, and infrastructure development.

Riddle also discusses the project's role in advancing U.S. Arctic leadership, including the potential for year-round navigation, integration with military and Coast Guard operations, and strengthening America's geopolitical position in a region of increasing global competition. He emphasizes that Polar LNG is designed to complement—not compete with—other major projects like the Alaska LNG pipeline, while helping unlock vast natural gas reserves and enabling additional development, including energy-intensive AI data centers.

Looking ahead, Riddle details key milestones, including a targeted final investment decision by 2027 and phased production scaling through 2034. He frames the project as a long-term effort to transform the North Slope into a major hub for energy production, economic activity, and strategic infrastructure, positioning the U.S. as a leading supplier in the global LNG market.