HOUSTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Chevron ( CVX ) CEO Michael

Wirth on Tuesday criticized U.S. President Joe Biden's

administration for what he described as "attacks on the natural

gas" industry and emphasized the crucial role of Permian natural

gas in powering the rapid growth of artificial intelligence

(AI).

The CEO's remarks followed new government plans over

policies to prevent power-hungry AI data centers from

undercutting U.S. climate goals. Last week, the White House

launched a task force on AI Datacenter Infrastructure to

coordinate policies in line with the government's economic and

environmental goals.