Publications Research & analysis
Energy March 2026
Powering the Buildout: Energy Demand Projections for Data Centers, Reshored Manufacturing, and Defense Production

The United States is simultaneously pursuing three of the most energy-intensive buildouts in its history: hyperscale data center construction for AI compute, the reshoring of advanced manufacturing, and the expansion…

By American Founders Institute Staff
Governance March 2026
Architecting the Machine-Readable State: The Strategic Case for a State Chief AI Officer

American federalism is at a technological crossroads. While the private sector deploys agentic AI to synthesize data at extraordinary speeds, state governments remain constrained by fragmented data systems, outdated procurement…

By American Founders Institute Staff
Energy March 2026
Oil: The Price of Disruption

Oil Prices, Economic Cascades, and the Cost of Energy Vulnerability On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran, triggering the most significant energy…

By American Founders Institute Staff