Exclusive–American Chemistry Council CEO: Chemistry Powers American Energy, AI Revolutions

The foundation of American innovation, energy advancement, and technological leadership is deeply rooted in the nation’s chemical industry, according to remarks from American Chemistry Council (ACC) President and CEO Chris Jahn.

Speaking during a policy event with Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle, Chris Jahn described how chemistry underpins essential technologies across sectors such as transportation, energy, and artificial intelligence. “Everything that America builds, protects, or innovates starts with chemistry,” Jahn stated, adding that the ACC’s members—scientists and engineers—are positioned at the start of the U.S. manufacturing supply chain.

Jahn underscored the critical role of chemistry in high-tech manufacturing, stating that “It takes 500 specialty chemistries to manufacture one computer chip.” He warned that “If we don’t get chemical policy right, believe it or not, we are not going to win the AI race against China.” Referring to regulatory developments, Jahn explained, “Unfortunately, the Biden administration wanted to ban some of those chemistries. So again, we’ve got new leadership there, and we’re headed in the right direction, and we’re very optimistic about what the new EPA will bring us.”

The event also highlighted the symbiotic relationship between energy and chemistry. “Without American Chemistry, there is no American energy,” Jahn emphasized. He explained how chemistry transforms raw energy into usable forms: “the electricity that goes to data centers and the generation from natural gas to make that happen,” “the crude oil that uses chemicals then to be turned into gasoline,” and “battery technology so that we can store energy and use it later.” He added that “The demand for energy is going to go through the roof in this country,” driven by AI and data centers. “We do not have the infrastructure, we do not have the policy environment, we do not have the transmission” to meet that demand, Jahn said, pointing to the need for a policy environment that allows the chemical industry to help move forward.

In discussing the environmental contributions of the industry, Jahn stressed that clean energy itself is not possible without chemistry. He noted that “The products that our members make enable all of those clean technologies,” reaffirming the dual focus on innovation and sustainability.

According to Jahn, the chemical industry is prepared to help the United States meet future challenges in energy and technological innovation, but achieving that will require regulatory alignment with scientific capabilities. “If we get the policy to catch up with the technology, then we’re going to be in a good place,” he commented.