DOI Must Modernize Energy to Win AI Race, Secretary Says

The Department of the Interior (DOI) is investing in artificial intelligence tools to strengthen emergency management, enhance data-driven decision-making and align with the Trump administration’s tech priorities amid rising global competition. Senior DOI officials are focusing on building a more resilient digital and energy infrastructure to support AI deployment.

“AI with advanced predictive analytics is improving mapping, helping forecast fire behavior, optimizing fuel treatment placement and automating image analysis from drones and satellites during active fire events,” a DOI spokesperson told GovCIO Media & Research in a statement.

Aligning with Trump’s Tech Goals

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum affirmed his commitment to advancing the administration’s AI and energy agenda during the agency’s FY2026 budget testimony on June 12. He emphasized DOI’s role in streamlining permitting processes critical to building a secure, scalable digital infrastructure.

“AI is going to accelerate innovation … we are in an AI arms race with China, and the thing that’s holding us back is energy,” Burgum said. “We’re reshoring manufacturing back to our country … it’s going to require more power, and we need a whole-of-government approach.”

The agency is actively working to modernize legacy IT and OT systems, the DOI spokesperson added. These updates are designed to improve data flow in areas such as wildfire modeling, resource allocation and incident command support, laying the groundwork for broader AI integration.

Developing DOI’s Tech Roadmap

Following President Donald Trump’s June 12 executive order on modernizing the nation’s wildfire response efforts, DOI and other federal agencies are collaborating with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to develop a technology roadmap. This initiative focuses on strengthening federal AI governance, improving climate modeling and enhancing energy grid resilience.

“We expect to expand collaboration [with OSTP] to include pilot projects, standards development and joint initiatives that align emerging technology strategies with on-the-ground conservation and infrastructure needs,” the spokesperson said