China’s energy supremacy is significant, fueling its competitive edge in global artificial intelligence (AI), which causes concern for Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Burgum discussed this in a podcast interview with David Friedberg.
He emphasized that China effectively merges opportunities with a focused strategy stemmed from reliable baseload power, warning that the West should not overlook this energy advantage.
According to Burgum, China aims for both environmental integrity and economic advancement, presenting a challenge for Americans to keep pace.
What troubles me most? The reality is, the exciting and considerable AI race is fundamentally propelled by access to electricity.
Last year, China added 94 gigawatts from coal power. To put that in perspective, one gigawatt is equivalent to the energy demand of Denver, so I’m saying, last year they basically added a Denver’s worth of energy with that 94. That amount surpasses the total energy produced in California as well as New York, combined.
Despite the negative connotation of “coal,” it serves as a fantastic source for maintaining electricity supply. It has the necessary properties to keep amperage and voltage stable for the grid.
Burgum stated, “You cannot sustain an electric grid solely on intermittent energy sources. You can’t depend on things that aren’t consistent. This refers to solar and wind, since the sun isn’t shining at night and the wind isn’t always blowing.”
He advised that coal-powered energy could provide the necessary support to America while also absorbing the push for “green” energy sources from former President Joe Biden’s initiatives.
A heavy dependence on alternative energy sources rather than traditional coal-fired plants could lead to economic setbacks.
He noted that such an approach has already jeopardized America and threatened, in his words, a “Biden Brownout and Blackout” from over-relying on intermittent energy sources and excessively regulating baseload power in the name of environmental protection, which could risk national stability.
