Overthenext two decades, global electricity demand is expectedtodouble, growth we havent seen since post-World War II.Tomeet historic projections, we needtogenerate abundant, reliable and affordable energy at a massive scale.But new generation wont be enough. We must dramaticallymodernizethecountrys electricalgridinfrastructure,theinvisible backbone of our entire energy system.Transforming this aging infrastructure which has been built up over a century into a state-of-theart system is critical iftheU.S. istomaintain its competitive lead ontheglobal stage.It is hardtooverstatetheurgency:Americaseconomyis only as strong asthegrids thatpowerit.CHINA IS EXPLOITING OUR GOVERNMENT'S TECH WEAKNESS. WE NEED A RAPID REBOOTTheEnergy Department reinforced this view last week, saying in a report: "Electricity demand from AI-driven data centers and advanced manufacturing is rising at a record pace.Themagnitude and speed of projected load growth cannot be met with existing approachestoload addition andgridmanagement."Energy Secretary Chris Wright added a more personal viewtotheissue, saying, "We produce energy for one reason, which istobetter people's lives. So having a reliablegridthat's as affordable as possible and that can grow so we can bring industry and more job opportunitiestoour states and communities is just critical."I couldnt agree more. Boosting investments inthegridwill expand high-tech U.S. manufacturing, create jobs and develop a stronger domestic supply chain. FortheU.S.totruly leadtheworld in energy, manufacturing electrification infrastructure here at home is just as important as increased generation.WE HAVE TO ACT NOW TO KEEP AI FROM BECOMING A FAR-LEFT TROJAN HORSEThis issue was front and center atthePennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit earlier this week, where President Donald Trump, members of his Cabinet and industry leaders discussedthekey steps we must prioritize acrosstheenergy industry.Thegridwe havetoday wasn't designed fortheworld we're building. Originally conceived intheearly 20thcentury for electricitytotravel in one direction,thegridnow faces volatile, multi-directional energy flows. Peak demand is higher. Extreme weather more uncertain. Sources are more distributed.While our systems are strong,thepressures we're putting on it are unlike anything earlier generations ever imagined.But this challenge can be a historic moment for huge progress, not just incremental improvements. Its why we are adding $100 million in investments and 700 new jobs overthenext two years and expanding capacity at our leadinggridsolutions factories in Pennsylvania.SILICON, STEEL AND MEGAWATTS: CAN AMERICA CREATE THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO WIN THE AI RACE?Thenew roles and added manufacturing volume will help support building more high-voltage switchgear products, critical components for stable and reliable operation ofthenations electricalgrids.Energy-intensive, next-gen industries like high-tech manufacturing and AI will locate wherethey can access reliable, efficientpower. Communities and countries thatmodernizetheirgrids will attract investment and jobs, and those that don't will watch opportunities move elsewhere.Thebottom line if we build a smarter, stronger electricalgrid, oureconomywill grow faster, we will create more jobs andAmerican families will save money.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONSo what can we do?Thefirst step istorecognizetheurgency that drives bold, sustained investment, sincetheInternational Energy Agency estimates we mustdoublegridinvestment by 2030tomeet demand.Second is stronger public-private partnerships. Smart policies fromthefederal government are crucial, but companies like ours must be preparedtomaketheinvestmentstobuildthefactories and hiretheworkers that are needed.Third is accelerated permitting reform. Right now, it takes longertoget approvaltobuild a transmission line than it doestoactually build it, delaying accesstobringing morepoweronline, slowing job creation and holding back communities from modernizingtheir energy systems. We needtosuperchargegridupgrades, not burythem in red tape.Embracing new technologies will also be critical. Applying AI, advanced software and machine learningtogridmanagement offers utilitiesthecapabilitytoprocess vast amounts of data in real-time, enabling better decision-making, optimization of existing infrastructure and smarter load management.Whenthelights first came on, it helpedpowerdecades of prosperity. Now, this Age of Electricity will determine whether we canpowera sustainable future forAmericaand bring affordable energytoeveryone who needs it.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM SCOTT STRAZIK