PITTSBURGH — Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) said that what the world saw at the Energy and Innovation Summit was the “Pennsylvania way.”

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It was a historic event that brought together the top minds in artificial intelligence, education, technology, energy, and the trades, along with the most powerful leaders in the country.

“I think it’s important that folks work together if we’re really going to get stuff done. I think Pennsylvania is on the rise. We have attracted the attention of the world given our energy dominant position, and in order to capitalize on that, you got to get everybody rowing in the same direction,” ” Shapiro said of the event organized by Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA). “That means federal and state working together, Democrats and Republicans working together, importantly, public sector and private sector working together.”

Both men appeared on a panel discussing things they can do from their respective positions, with McCormick a federal lawmaker and Shapiro the commonwealth’s chief executive.

Shapiro said he is supposed to help the state realize its potential in these emerging industries that will shape the future of the country.

“I think it’s my job as governor to set the table for that and to have willing partners like Sen. McCormick and others work together to help move us forward and get stuff done,” he said.

The event brought administration power players, such as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and President Donald Trump. The goal was to facilitate the growth of the energy and AI industries, with the university and union support that will make it all work.

Shapiro said speed to market is the key to building AI data power plants and the natural gas, nuclear, and coal to fuel them. That involves permitting, often in the hands of the state government, and he does not want to let that get bogged down.

“The speed is critical,” he said. “In my first six months in office, I saw very clearly that we were not moving quick enough, and I brought in companies that had chosen to locate somewhere other than Pennsylvania, and I asked them, ‘What could we do differently?’ I went and talked to CEOs, ‘Hey, what do you need in order to either expand here or bring your company here?’ And the common thread throughout was speed to market. And so we’ve completely overhauled our permitting process.”

Shapiro quipped that Pennsylvania now has a money-back guarantee on every permit, “so if I say to the Zito company, ‘You’re going to get your permit in 30 days,’ you’re going to get it in 30 days, and if we hit day 31, we’re going to give you [your money back],” he said.

“I now chair a panel with the Oklahoma governor for other governors on how Pennsylvania can be a model for other states on our permitting crisis,” Shapiro said. “I think the big reason why Amazon picked us for the biggest private sector investment in the history of Pennsylvania is because of speed to market. We can now guarantee that with our permitting fast track program. I think that’s something that really sets Pennsylvania apart.”

As for the skilled artisans, the tradesmen who will build, maintain, and work at these AI data power centers and in the energy sector, Shapiro said, “We have the best workers in the world. It is in our DNA.”

His challenge is to get the next generation intrigued by what the trades have to offer them in terms of prosperity and staying rooted in the communities that they came from. That familiar bond is important to people in a state where the majority live miles from where they grew up.

Shapiro said over 60% of adults in Pennsylvania do not have a college degree and would be a perfect fit for these industries.

“We just want to open up all different doors of opportunity, and it starts in the ninth and 10th grade when we invite that young person to learn about what it’s like to be a welder,  a farm hand, what it’s like to be able to program computers,” he said. “If you start showing these skills in high school — and I’ve doubled our funding for vo-tech or [career and technical education] in our schools — and they get excited about that and then create an avenue into a union apprenticeship program or a pre-apprenticeship program somewhere in their region, and they know that we’re going to treat that pathway to success with the same level of respect as if you choose to go to college.”

Shapiro said he understands people are skeptical about the uses of AI in daily life, whether it is at home or on the job. He was an early adopter as a governor to use it in ways that help the people of the commonwealth.

“I was the first governor in the country to sign an executive order deploying AI tools into the hands of our state government workers, and remember, I’ve got 80,000 employees in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” he said. “Now, not all 80,000 are using it. They’re not all part of the pilot, but a good number are. And what we’ve learned over the last year — and I came here to [Carnegie Mellon University] to announce our findings about three months ago — we learned that our workers who have the AI tools in their hands are saving 95 minutes a day.”

“What I’ve said to our workers is AI is a tool,” he continued. “It is a job enhancer, not a job replacer. And we’re doing it in an ethical and responsible way. We’ve got professors here at CMU, and Penn State, and Pitt, and other institutions helping make sure that the way we use AI is done ethically and responsibly.”

Shapiro added that you can’t be afraid of technology. “You’ve got to embrace it, and you’ve got to work with it,” he said.

The Shapiro administration is exploring how to use AI in a responsible way, protecting people’s privacy, but allowing the state to deal with administrative burdens.

“That’s a practical tool that we’re using,” Shapiro said. “Our park service, [the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources], are using AI to help enhance your experience. When you go to a state park, PennDOT, our transportation system, is working on it to enhance the user experience. So, from delivering human services to our roads and bridges, to our parks and trails, we’re making use of AI in our daily lives and saving our workforce a significant amount of time.”

Earlier this year, Shapiro and his family and their two dogs were in the governor’s residence in Harrisburg when an arsonist firebombed the first floor. Shapiro still feels the lingering effects as a father whose duty it is to protect his family.

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“It has been about three months, and I thought it was really important to figure out how to heal as a father, as a husband, and then as a governor third, and make sure I’m present for my family and helping them get through, and we’re getting through it,” he said. “Well, and I appreciate you asking, and as a governor, I also made clear that nothing was going to deter me from doing my job. I’m not afraid when I go do my work every day, I’m not afraid when I’m at the residence, and I’m going to keep plowing forward for the good people of Pennsylvania.”

Asked if there have been any changes to security protocols as a result, he said, “The colonel and his team learn from it. I think it’s important for you and others to know. I have full confidence in the state police, and they’re doing everything they need to do to make sure I’m secure, my family’s secure, and the residence is secure for visitors and staff.”

Salena Zito is a national political reporter for the Washington Examiner and author of the New York Times bestseller Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland.