“Imagine AI 10 years from now. Not a chat or an app or a box, but a layer that manages cities, transportation, healthcare, security. And ask a simple question: Where will the electricity come from? Because behind all AI is a data center, and behind it, we need to understand the connection to the power grid,” said Yoni Hantis, CEO of Doral, at the Calcalist and Bank Leumi Mind the Tech New York 2026 conference.

“There is no AI without energy. When we talk about AI, we usually talk about ChatGPT, models, code and more code. But the real question of the coming decade is not how smart AI will be, or how much it will encompass our lives, but how quickly we can activate our digital technology, because AI does not work on ideas. It works on energy.

“There is real debate about how much AI will change the world – the professions, the perception, the society – but one thing is certain: AI is already changing energy consumption globally. By the end of 2030, energy consumption in the United States is expected to more than double. And after years of stagnation, once again, energy consumption in the United States is growing at an annual rate of several percent.

“New data centers can consume 5 to 10 times more energy than traditional data centers, and by the end of this decade, data centers are expected to double, or even triple, their energy consumption. And the problem is not just the rising demand, the problem is the pace. Because while the energy system was built as a linear system, energy consumption is growing exponentially.

“More than 90% of the energy waiting to be connected to the grid in the leading U.S. electricity markets is renewable. It’s the cheapest, fastest way to build and produce energy today. Without energy available, there’s no way to move forward, and I’m not talking about 10 years from now – I’m talking about today and tomorrow. And that’s exactly where the big bottleneck of the 21st century is. Renewable energy is the cheapest, fastest, and most environmentally friendly way to produce energy.

“And in a world where AI consumes more and more energy, the only solution that can really scale is solar projects. And I want to give you an example: Today, Doral is building the largest solar project in the United States, in Indiana. This project will be built from A to Z in less than 6 years and will produce energy for almost half a million people. A similar conventional station would take three times longer to build. Almost an entire generation. And this is proof of the ability.

“In Israel, companies like Nvidia are building data centers and investing in innovation. But innovation doesn’t just run on ideas, it runs on energy. And in Israel, renewable energy is much more than just an environmental issue. It is a strategic issue.

“In Israel, renewable energy is connected to the land, and in my opinion, to Zionism as well. The future of renewable energy lies in the combination of agriculture and solar projects, which produce both electricity and crops on the same land. Agriculture needs the financial stability that solar brings to the table, and solar needs the land that agriculture brings to the table, and both work together in a mutually reinforcing cycle.

“And there is no doubt that data centers will soon join this circle, and will be located within our facilities, seeking first and foremost a connection to the grid and available green electricity. The economic rationale is very clear, but the values ​​align with equal clarity. This will bring more jobs to the periphery, more technological development, and above all, multidisciplinary cooperation. And this is the real beginning, the new Zionism. But the only question is who will be there in time?

“To enable fast connection, renewable energy infrastructure and AI, leadership is required. And this is exactly where the government must rise to the occasion, because the entrepreneurs are ready. All we need is the freedom to act, and this requires reducing barriers, clear regulation, and above all, fast connection to the grid. If the state fails to act and does not enable the connection, it simply will not happen, because the AI ​​companies will not wait. They will look for places that allow them fast connection and available green electricity. The State of Israel cannot afford not to be there.”

Watch his full remarks in the video above.