America runs on data. If we don’t build the infrastructure, China will

America’s Digital Backbone Faces a Build‑Out Challenge, Experts Say

By Maine News Now

In a Fox News opinion piece published early this month, former Navy nuclear‑attack submarine officer Kirk Offel, the chief executive officer of Overwatch Mission Critical—a Texas‑based, service‑disabled veteran‑owned data‑center company—argued that the United States must accelerate the construction of its physical infrastructure to keep pace with the global artificial‑intelligence (AI) race. Offel, who has spent his career training and hiring future leaders for high‑skill jobs in the data‑center industry, highlighted how the country’s current permitting delays, grid bottlenecks and supply‑chain constraints are hampering the development of new power generation and transmission assets that are essential for operating data centers at scale.

Offel’s commentary follows a similar view expressed by former special‑operations forces veteran Mike Sarraville, who has also written on the subject. Both veterans point to the fact that AI development is not only about software or algorithms but also about the underlying “Fifth Utility” – an interconnected network of compute, power, fiber and digital infrastructure that supports banking, healthcare, transportation, commerce, emergency communications, national intelligence and defense.

Why Physical Infrastructure Matters

The opinion piece stresses that a nation’s ability to deploy AI at scale is contingent upon a robust supply of data‑center capacity, which in turn requires reliable electricity and high‑capacity fiber connections. Offel notes that, in recent years, the United States has seen a surge in demand for computational power, driven by advances in machine learning, big‑data analytics and cloud computing. Yet the domestic market has struggled to meet that demand because:

• Permitting delays at local and state levels slow the approval of new power‑generation projects and data‑center sites.
• Transmission bottlenecks limit the ability to deliver large amounts of power to where it is needed most.
• Supply‑chain constraints on critical components such as steel, concrete and specialized cooling equipment have added to construction timelines.

Offel argues that the United States is now lagging behind competitors such as China, which is aggressively expanding its own power‑generation, transmission, manufacturing and computing capacity. He says that while Washington debates AI governance, China is ensuring that it has the physical capacity required to deploy AI technologies at scale.

Impact on Communities and Ratepayers

In addition to national security concerns, Offel points out that data‑center projects can affect local communities. “Residents deserve to know how projects will affect power, water, land, electricity rates and local infrastructure,” he wrote. The opinion piece calls on developers to engage with communities early, answer questions honestly and invest responsibly in the places where they build.

Workforce Needs

Another key theme of Offel’s piece is the workforce required to build and operate the new infrastructure. The article lists a range of skilled roles that are essential—electricians, line workers, welders, high‑voltage technicians, construction professionals and “mission‑critical operators.” Offel emphasizes that roughly 200,000 men and women leave the military each year, many of whom possess the technical discipline, leadership and adaptability needed for the data‑center and power‑generation sectors. He calls for stronger pathways from military service into critical‑infrastructure careers as part of a national strategy.

Next Steps

Offel’s argument is that to preserve America’s leadership in the digital age, the country must begin to build “like it” – with the same urgency and scale that has historically driven its infrastructure projects. He urges that the United States needs to leverage its capital, energy resources, technology and talent, but warns that these advantages are not guaranteed if the country continues to take years to build the physical backbone required for AI.

The opinion piece was published on Fox News, with accompanying articles that discuss related topics such as the essential role of data centers in everyday life, the importance of maintaining America’s critical‑infrastructure workforce, and the need for local control in data‑center development. The piece ends with a call for a national strategy that incorporates both rapid infrastructure development and workforce training, especially for veterans.

Offel, who earned the title of “Top 10 ranked global voice on data centers,” is also the founder of Overwatch Mission Critical, a company that trains and hires future leaders for high‑skill jobs in the data‑center industry. Mike Sarraville, a former special‑operations forces veteran, contributed his perspective to the discussion on how information superiority depends on people, systems and infrastructure.

Source: Fox News Opinion, early 2024.