Energy scholar Brenda Shaffer has issued a stark warning: as Western activists target fossil fuels and artificial intelligence, China is expanding coal output and industrial power, reshaping the race for AI leadership. In recent remarks, she tied energy and technology policy to strategic strength, arguing that choices made now could decide who leads the next wave of computing.
Shaffer, known for research on energy security and geopolitics, said the issue is urgent. China is increasing coal production and building more factories. Western governments face protests against pipelines, natural gas projects, and large data centers. The collision of climate goals, local politics, and the rapid rise of AI is now a central policy test.
Energy expert Brenda Shaffer warns that anti-energy and anti-AI activism is weakening the West while China rapidly expands coal production, manufacturing and industrial power during the accelerating AI race.
A Warning on Energy and AI
Shaffer links two debates often treated apart. AI needs massive computing power, which depends on reliable and affordable electricity. If power supplies tighten, AI growth can slow. If electricity is cheap and abundant, AI can scale faster. She argues that Western activism is raising hurdles for both energy projects and AI sites.
Her point lands as data use surges. The International Energy Agency projects that data centers could consume roughly 4 percent of global electricity by 2026 if current trends hold. AI training and inference add to that load. Utilities from the United States to Europe report record requests for new connections tied to cloud and AI clusters.
China’s Coal and Industrial Push
China’s energy system remains anchored in coal, which supplies a large share of its electricity. Research groups report that the country permitted and built new coal plants in 2022 and 2023, even as it added record levels of wind and solar. The dual track gives Beijing more dispatchable power to back heavy industry and digital infrastructure.
Analysts say this approach lowers the risk of power shortfalls that could disrupt chipmaking, server farms, and factories. It also keeps industrial costs stable. Critics argue it locks in emissions. Supporters say it buys time to expand the grid and storage while keeping growth on track.
Activism, Climate Goals and Grid Reality
Western policymakers face a tighter path. Local opposition has slowed or stopped some pipelines, gas plants, transmission lines, and large data centers. Ireland restricted new data center connections around Dublin because of grid strain. Parts of the Netherlands set temporary limits on hyperscale projects before adding stricter rules. U.S. regions with fast tech growth have warned of capacity gaps.
Climate advocates counter that activism is not a weakness, but a push for cleaner, more efficient systems. They point to rapid growth in wind and solar, falling battery costs, and new investments in transmission. They also warn that locking in new fossil fuel assets could burden ratepayers and slow the shift to low-carbon power.
Grid planners now juggle three goals: keep power reliable, keep it affordable, and cut emissions. AI demand adds pressure to meet all three. Long interconnection queues, slow permitting, and scarce transformers extend timelines for new projects. Speed matters in the AI race, but so does public trust and climate progress.
Industry Impact and Strategic Choices
Tech firms are hunting for sites with firm power, water, and fiber. Many are signing long-term contracts for renewables paired with storage. Some are exploring small modular reactors, though those face regulatory and cost hurdles. Natural gas peaker plants remain a fallback in some markets, but they face policy and permitting risks.
- Cheap, reliable power can shape where AI clusters land.
- Permitting delays can shift investment across borders.
- Grid upgrades and storage are key to smoothing demand spikes.
Security experts note that energy policy is now part of industrial policy. Countries that align grid buildouts with AI and chip strategies may gain an edge. Those that struggle to add capacity could see higher prices, slower rollouts, and lost manufacturing.
What to Watch
Several signals will show which path prevails: the pace of transmission approvals, data center siting decisions, new coal and gas capacity worldwide, and actual AI power use versus forecasts. Policy experiments in the United States and Europe, such as faster permits for lines and incentives for storage, will also be telling. China’s balance of coal, renewables, and storage will shape global supply chains and emissions.
Shaffer’s warning frames a hard tradeoff. The West can protect climate aims and still scale AI, but it needs faster buildouts of clean power, storage, and wires. It also needs clear rules that guide siting without years of delay. China is moving to secure power for industry today. The next phase of the AI race may be decided by who builds energy capacity, and how quickly they do it.
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