06/16/2026
Kevin Dempsey, AISI president and CEO, today participated in an energy panel titled "Steel’s Power Imperative " at the Global Steel Dynamics Forum ( ), where he focused on the steel industry’s role as an energy user and also as a provider of materials for the energy sector. Dempsey highlighted that data centers, which have been a focus of discussion in the energy space, present both a challenge and an opportunity for steel. For example, he indicated that while data center-driven electricity demand may be increasing, data centers present a “huge opportunity for the steel industry” to help build out the AI systems that help drive and grow numerous manufacturing industries. Dempsey also discussed the need for government policies to address electricity demand, provide incentives for increased investment across all energy types and significantly speed up the permitting of new energy projects. Lastly, Dempsey and fellow participants discussed China’s aggressive development and deployment of nuclear energy and the need for the U.S. to “get back in the business of investing in and building more nuclear power.”
The panel was moderated by Edwin Basson, Director General, worldsteel. Other participants included Jeffrey Miller, Senior Vice President of Business Development, TerraPower and Phillip Graeter, Partner, Energy Ventures Analysis, Inc.
