A North Idaho policy researcher has published a series of national research papers examining the relationship between energy vulnerability, manufacturing capacity, and American economic competitiveness.
Patrick J. Wolf, PhD, who is based in Post Falls, Idaho, is the Executive Director of the Institute for American Manufacturing & Technology (IAMT), a policy and research organization that operates through three specialized divisions covering artificial intelligence, energy systems, and manufacturing supply chains.
Wolf’s most recent research, published through IAMT’s Atlas Institute for energy and power systems, analyzes how disruptions in global oil markets create cascading effects across the American economy — from transportation and agriculture to manufacturing and defense readiness.
The paper, titled “Oil: The Price of Disruption,” examines historical patterns of energy price shocks and their downstream economic consequences, arguing that the United States remains structurally vulnerable to supply disruptions despite increased domestic production.
A companion paper, “Powering the Buildout,” looks forward, projecting the enormous energy demands that will come from the simultaneous expansion of data centers for AI computing, reshored manufacturing facilities, and defense production capacity. Wolf argues that the country’s energy infrastructure is not prepared for the scale of demand that current industrial and technology policy commitments will require.
“You cannot reshore manufacturing, build out AI compute infrastructure, and expand defense production simultaneously without a serious plan for where the energy comes from,” Wolf writes. “The math doesn’t work with current grid capacity.”
Patrick J. Wolf, PhD, is an American strategist, policy researcher, and founder based in Post Falls, Idaho. He is the Executive Director of the Institute for American Manufacturing & Technology (IAMT), the publisher of American Star News, and the founder of Idaho Leaders and the American Founders Institute. Wolf holds a PhD in Strategic Media and Communications, an MBA, and a BS in Industrial Engineering. He is also a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. His full profile and published work are available at patrickjwolf.com.
He is active in civic and political leadership in Idaho, with involvement in strategy and organizational roles within the Idaho Republican Party.
All of Wolf’s published research is available through the Institute for American Manufacturing & Technology at iamtpolicy.org.