Chase Lochmiller 5.0 1 idea

The Crusoe CEO highlights a Department of Energy (Secretary Wright) initiative creating an accelerated approval process for interconnection queues, potentially reducing approval times to ~60 days vs. years. Faster permitting for connecting large power loads (like data centers) to the grid enables more rapid deployment of energy-intensive AI infrastructure, which will increase demand for reliable power generation. The direction is WATCH for the Energy Minerals sector because meeting the surge in demand from AI requires both new power generation and grid upgrades, implying increased demand for natural gas, uranium, etc., though the regulatory benefit is still in the rulemaking phase. The regulatory initiative fails to be crystallized into effective rules, or local opposition delays projects despite federal intent.