The Texas A&M Energy Institute and the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy signed a formal agreement on January 20, 2026 at the Texas A&M Energy Institute to identify, pursue, and capitalize upon collaborative, complementary, and novel efforts in relevant research, education, and training.
Meeting Rising U.S. Electricity Demand from AI and Data Centers and Reshored Supply Chains: An Innovative Technical and Policy Texas A&M Partnership
Power-hungry AI data centers are consuming electricity at unprecedented rates, adding massive demand to already congested electric grids. Data Centers are not a luxury; they are the factories of the future, converting energy into processing capacity, and are critical for the U.S. to win the AI race. Our industrial base and our increasingly reshored energy-intensive manufacturing and chemical supply chains further challenge the grid for additional capacity. It is clear that electricity has emerged as a strategic resource of our time: it is the new oil.
The new national challenges demand novel interdisciplinary approaches. The Texas A&M Energy Institute is honored to formalize, with this partnership agreement with the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy, a “bottom-up” partnership building upon an already successful collaboration with the Mosbacher’s Global Value Chains Program.
The two organizations’ objectives are well-aligned, complementary, and stand to provide mutual benefits to Texas A&M University, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, the Texas A&M University System, the state of Texas, and the nation. The Texas A&M Energy Institute brings unique multidisciplinary expertise in energy systems engineering, process optimization, strategic planning, AI/ML forecasting, and next-gen data-driven supply chain resilience of integrated manufacturing and energy supply chains, while the Mosbacher Institute provides the economic and trade policy analysis needed to address these challenges. With this partnership agreement, the Texas A&M partnership complements technical energy, optimization, and supply chain expertise with economic and trade policy analysis to develop comprehensive solutions for America’s energy and supply chain challenges.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Energy Institute by Professor Stratos Pistikopoulos, a University Distinguished Professor, the Dow Chemical Chair, and the Director of Texas A&M Energy Institute; as well as by Professor Lefteris Iakovou, the Hubbell Professor of Industrial Distribution, the Associate Director Supply Chain Resilience and Sustainability at the Texas A&M Energy Institute; and on behalf of the Mosbacher Institute by Professor Raymond Robertson, the Academic Program Director of Bush School DC, the Director of the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy; and the Helen and Roy Ryu Professor of Economics and Government.
