Artificial intelligence (AI) has dominated tech headlines for the last two years, fascinating industry insiders and outsiders alike with its rapid proliferation. Behind the stunning progress of AI lie data centers, the facilities that house the computing systems powering technology.

We’ve written about both the economic boost as well as the energy demands that these facilities bring. These trends are continuing because the growing demand for AI means a growing demand for data centers. The spirit of innovation is more vital than ever to ensure that these essential facilities have the energy they need to fuel U.S. leadership in technology.

Data centers were originally warehouses for massive computers and fans. Modern data centers are more refined and able to power AI at a large scale thanks to cutting-edge technologies and cloud computing. Forbes titled them “the foundation of the digital world” because “every time you interact with a digital assistant, use a navigation app, or even send flowers online, you are tapping into the enormous power of a data center.”

While the AI boom has increased interest in data centers, their utility extends far beyond AI. Operations involving sensitive data, large amounts of information, and automated processes rely on data centers’ services to optimize their storage. For example, hospitals and other medical facilities are relying on vast amounts of data to treat their patients and help optimize their care experience. Data centers are able to aggregate and streamline sensitive health information in a secure and efficient manner and are increasingly vital to healthcare.

Louisiana currently boasts ten data centers across five cities: Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Shreveport, Metairie, and Slidell. These centers are bringing jobs and opportunity to their respective communities and serving diverse industries such as manufacturing, logistics, legal, health care, finance and accounting, oil and gas, government, and education. For instance, the recent expansion of a construction company in Webster Parish, Fibrebond, is going to bring an estimated 1,100 jobs to northwest Louisiana. Louisiana is well positioned to provide from our abundant energy resources and attract data centers.

While the need for data centers in the age of AI is obvious, so too is the energy footprint of these centers. The necessity of both is not irreconcilable. Rather, it is a motivator to lean upon the free and competitive market. We are a nation of abundant energy and genius innovators, who, when unencumbered by red tape and restriction, can meet the challenges of the digital economy.

Policymakers and stakeholders alike should prioritize energy abundance over a scarcity mentality to ensure that data centers can remain a source of jobs, development, and leadership for our nation.