Hudson Leads Effort to Reduce AI’s Growing Energy Footprint with Advanced Semiconductor Technology

WASHINGTON, D.C. -Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09) led a letter to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) urging the Administration to incorporate silicon carbide (SiC) into the implementation of America's AI Action Plan. The letter was also signed by Representatives Pat Harrigan, David Rouzer, Chuck Edwards, and Tim Moore.

"America's leadership in global AI development ultimately hinges on whether our nation can support the compute-intensive systems that drive innovation across science, medicine, national security, and the broader economy," wrote Rep. Hudson in the letter. "Silicon carbide is essential to that foundation."

The Members warned frontier AI systems are driving massive increases in electricity demand. Training and deploying advanced models requires enormous computing power, and next-generation AI data centers are rapidly moving toward 800-volt and higher power architectures that traditional silicon technologies struggle to support efficiently.

SIC Implementation would allow the United States to build more computing capacity per megawatt while reducing power losses across the AI infrastructure chain, from grid transmission to rack-level conversion inside data centers.

The Members also noted the global silicon carbide market, currently valued at roughly $3.4 billion, is projected to grow at a 15 percent annual rate through 2030, and urged OSTP to recognize SiC as a critical technology for strengthening America's AI infrastructure and maintaining U.S. leadership in the global AI race.

"As the United States races to build the AI infrastructure of the future, energy efficiency will be just as critical as computing power. Silicon carbide is a foundational technology that can help meet the enormous power demands of next-generation AI data centers while improving efficiency and sustainability," said Robert Feurle, CEO of Wolfspeed ."Wolfspeed strongly supports Representative Hudson's effort to ensure advanced materials like silicon carbide are integrated into America's national AI strategy. Through innovations such as our 300mm silicon carbide platform, which could help expand the solution space for next-generation AI packaging architectures, we are enabling the systems that will allow AI infrastructure to scale more efficiently. We are grateful for Representative Hudson's leadership in this space and look forward to continuing to work towards ensuring American leadership in SiC production."

Congressman Tim Moore:"It's clear that with the rise in AI and its integration into several aspects of our lives, from everyday uses to national defense, we must have an energy grid that supports it. Currently, this technology stands to outpace our grid capacity, putting us in a position to fall behind our adversaries. If America is going to lead in AI, we must expand the infrastructure and technology needed to power it, without sticking American families with higher energy costs."

Read the full letter HERE.