Greenland's changing climate also holds potential for the U.S.'s artificial intelligence ambitions. During a Feb. 12 Senate hearing on the acquisition of Greenland, Rebecca Pincus, director of the Polar Institute at the Wilson Center, spoke of the potential for the melting ice sheet to provide the energy for hydropower-fueled AI data centers.

President Trump has made no secret of his designs on Greenland, repeating threats to acquire the territory through a financial transaction or military force.