Republican U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick announced he will host the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit in Pittsburgh in the first half of this year. The summit will bring together top leaders in energy and AI, alongside the biggest global investors, to deliver on President Donald Trump’s promise to unleash American energy, dominate in AI, and bring production back home to America.
“American energy dominance is good for the economy, good for the environment, and good for national security,” said McCormick. “President Trump has promised to set America on the path to energy dominance once again, and that path runs through Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit will align the leading energy companies, the most innovative AI platforms, and global investors behind President Trump’s energy agenda. Together, we can unleash a new age of energy production and power the AI and technological revolution.”
McCormick’s planned summit was a topic of conversation when the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee was questioning Secretary of Energy nominee Chris Wright and Secretary of the Interior nominee Doug Burgum. Both endorsed the summit during their respective nomination hearings last week.
“Pennsylvania has three key assets of the technology revolution: huge energy resources, a skilled workforce, and proximity to major population centers. It is the second largest energy-producing state with the fourth largest natural gas reserves in the entire world and a leading nuclear sector. With world-class universities, research institutions, and a highly skilled labor force, Pennsylvania has the workforce required to lead the AI revolution. The Keystone State can lead the way on energy dominance and innovation for America,” according to a press release from McCormick’s office.
Jim Welty, president, Marcellus Shale Coalition, is on board with the idea.
“We appreciate Sen. McCormick’s leadership to advance pro-energy policies that unlock further economic and environmental progress,” Welty told DVJournal. “Thanks to natural gas, Pennsylvania is the top electricity exporter in the nation and critical to meeting the coming power demands of the digital age. We stand ready to help advance conversations that inform sound public policy and aid in meeting our commonwealth and the nation’s energy needs.”

Secretary of Energy nominee Chris Wright and Secretary of the Interior nominee Doug Burgum both expressed public support for the Summit
McCormick brought up the Energy and Innovation Summit during a recent podcast with DVJournal.
“We have two terrific guys, Doug Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota, who is going to lead the Energy Council and also be secretary of the interior, and we’ve got Chris Wright [for secretary of energy] who, this guy is unbelievable. He is an entrepreneur, he’s led and built an LNG company, he’s very involved in nuclear power, and he’s a very thoughtful person, and he knows how to create jobs,” said McCormick. “So, he, and I, and Doug Burgum are going to work really well together.”
McCormick says he also spoke to President Trump about the Energy and Innovation Summit.
“And that Energy Innovation Summit would have the big energy players, the big AI platforms, because we should be an AI destination for these huge data centers and the big capital investors that will make those things a reality.”
“And I think we’ve got an unbelievable opportunity in Pennsylvania–because of our bountiful energy, because of our great skilled workforce, because of our proximity to the rest of the country–to do big things,” McCormick said.