emirates7 - Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, and Executive Chairman of XRG, has urged greater collaboration between the energy, technology, finance, and policy sectors to seize what he called a “once-in-a-generation” investment opportunity presented by artificial intelligence (AI).
In a keynote speech at the ninth Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Washington, DC, Dr. Al Jaber described AI as the next major leap in human advancement. He stressed that accommodating its rapid growth will demand a fundamental transformation in energy policy, infrastructure, and investment.
“The race to dominate AI isn’t only about software—it’s about power,” he said, noting that each AI advancement significantly increases energy consumption. He warned that current global energy systems are unprepared, citing that the U.S. alone could need an additional 50–150 gigawatts of power capacity by 2030—comparable to the energy use of many major cities.
To address this, Dr. Al Jaber outlined a comprehensive roadmap—developed in collaboration with XRG, MGX, and the Atlantic Council—focusing on streamlining permitting processes, updating power grids, and directing investment toward gas, nuclear, and renewable energy.
“You can’t power the future with yesterday’s infrastructure,” he remarked, identifying permitting delays and supply chain disruptions as major obstacles. He emphasized the need for policies that support—not hinder—progress.
Dr. Al Jaber pointed to the deep economic ties between the UAE and the U.S., calling the partnership a strategic necessity. “The U.S. isn’t just a partner—it’s a priority,” he said. He highlighted extensive collaboration, including U.S. companies operating in 18 states through 50 facilities across sectors like gas, chemicals, infrastructure, and renewables. He also noted that XRG is a key partner in the largest LNG facility in Texas, while Masdar, the UAE’s renewable energy company, has established 5.5GW of clean energy capacity across the U.S.
He illustrated the scale of energy demand by noting that a single new data center can consume as much electricity as a city like Pittsburgh. Meeting such demand, he argued, is not only a technical challenge but also a massive investment opportunity. It requires full alignment across all sectors to build a resilient and future-ready energy system.
“In an age of hyperscalers, we need to hyperscale energy,” he asserted. He advocated for dependable baseload power sources like gas and nuclear, complemented by renewables, energy storage, and emerging solutions like small modular reactors (SMRs) and nuclear fusion. He also called for a “pragmatic pause” on decommissioning existing power plants and for ramping up nuclear energy.
Dr. Al Jaber stressed the urgency of upgrading energy delivery systems, noting that wait times for essential components like transformers can exceed three years. This, he said, is more than a supply chain issue—it’s a major constraint on economic growth. He urged reforms in permitting, training a new generation of electricians, and reducing investment risk.
“The tech sector moves in quarters, but the energy sector plans in decades,” he explained, highlighting the disconnect between the two and the need to bridge it. He said that over 2,600GW of planned energy capacity worldwide remains idle due to delays in grid connections—something he described as “gridlock in the grid.”
He emphasized that delivering energy is more complex than generating it, and called for strategic efforts to train one million electricians for the evolving power sector and to harness AI to manage energy systems more efficiently.
Turning to the Middle East, Dr. Al Jaber reaffirmed the UAE’s longstanding commitment to diplomacy and de-escalation, calling on all parties to respect sovereignty and international law to safeguard regional and energy security.
In closing, he urged for unified global action to fully unlock the promise of AI. “To harness AI’s full power, we must ensure it has the energy it needs,” he said. “That means clear policies, robust infrastructure, and bold investments—all aligned with a shared vision.”
“AI and energy are the dual engines of advancement. Two engines. One direction—full speed into the future.”
His address followed the second ENACT Forum in Washington, DC—a roundtable-style event bringing together leaders from energy, technology, finance, and government to shape an actionable strategy for tackling AI-driven energy demands and accelerating infrastructure development.
Coinciding with the forum, a new cross-sector roadmap titled “Powering the Next Great Leap in Human Progress” was released. The report lays out actionable steps to meet the urgent energy demands from AI expansion, while guiding long-term investments in smarter, more efficient energy systems. It proposes practical, AI-enabled solutions such as optimising existing energy generation, upgrading grids, managing demand, selecting strategic locations for data centers, and accelerating the rollout of future technologies. The report underscores that only system-wide, bold action will allow AI to reach its full transformative potential.
In a keynote speech at the ninth Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Washington, DC, Dr. Al Jaber described AI as the next major leap in human advancement. He stressed that accommodating its rapid growth will demand a fundamental transformation in energy policy, infrastructure, and investment.
“The race to dominate AI isn’t only about software—it’s about power,” he said, noting that each AI advancement significantly increases energy consumption. He warned that current global energy systems are unprepared, citing that the U.S. alone could need an additional 50–150 gigawatts of power capacity by 2030—comparable to the energy use of many major cities.
To address this, Dr. Al Jaber outlined a comprehensive roadmap—developed in collaboration with XRG, MGX, and the Atlantic Council—focusing on streamlining permitting processes, updating power grids, and directing investment toward gas, nuclear, and renewable energy.
“You can’t power the future with yesterday’s infrastructure,” he remarked, identifying permitting delays and supply chain disruptions as major obstacles. He emphasized the need for policies that support—not hinder—progress.
Dr. Al Jaber pointed to the deep economic ties between the UAE and the U.S., calling the partnership a strategic necessity. “The U.S. isn’t just a partner—it’s a priority,” he said. He highlighted extensive collaboration, including U.S. companies operating in 18 states through 50 facilities across sectors like gas, chemicals, infrastructure, and renewables. He also noted that XRG is a key partner in the largest LNG facility in Texas, while Masdar, the UAE’s renewable energy company, has established 5.5GW of clean energy capacity across the U.S.
He illustrated the scale of energy demand by noting that a single new data center can consume as much electricity as a city like Pittsburgh. Meeting such demand, he argued, is not only a technical challenge but also a massive investment opportunity. It requires full alignment across all sectors to build a resilient and future-ready energy system.
“In an age of hyperscalers, we need to hyperscale energy,” he asserted. He advocated for dependable baseload power sources like gas and nuclear, complemented by renewables, energy storage, and emerging solutions like small modular reactors (SMRs) and nuclear fusion. He also called for a “pragmatic pause” on decommissioning existing power plants and for ramping up nuclear energy.
Dr. Al Jaber stressed the urgency of upgrading energy delivery systems, noting that wait times for essential components like transformers can exceed three years. This, he said, is more than a supply chain issue—it’s a major constraint on economic growth. He urged reforms in permitting, training a new generation of electricians, and reducing investment risk.
“The tech sector moves in quarters, but the energy sector plans in decades,” he explained, highlighting the disconnect between the two and the need to bridge it. He said that over 2,600GW of planned energy capacity worldwide remains idle due to delays in grid connections—something he described as “gridlock in the grid.”
He emphasized that delivering energy is more complex than generating it, and called for strategic efforts to train one million electricians for the evolving power sector and to harness AI to manage energy systems more efficiently.
Turning to the Middle East, Dr. Al Jaber reaffirmed the UAE’s longstanding commitment to diplomacy and de-escalation, calling on all parties to respect sovereignty and international law to safeguard regional and energy security.
In closing, he urged for unified global action to fully unlock the promise of AI. “To harness AI’s full power, we must ensure it has the energy it needs,” he said. “That means clear policies, robust infrastructure, and bold investments—all aligned with a shared vision.”
“AI and energy are the dual engines of advancement. Two engines. One direction—full speed into the future.”
His address followed the second ENACT Forum in Washington, DC—a roundtable-style event bringing together leaders from energy, technology, finance, and government to shape an actionable strategy for tackling AI-driven energy demands and accelerating infrastructure development.
Coinciding with the forum, a new cross-sector roadmap titled “Powering the Next Great Leap in Human Progress” was released. The report lays out actionable steps to meet the urgent energy demands from AI expansion, while guiding long-term investments in smarter, more efficient energy systems. It proposes practical, AI-enabled solutions such as optimising existing energy generation, upgrading grids, managing demand, selecting strategic locations for data centers, and accelerating the rollout of future technologies. The report underscores that only system-wide, bold action will allow AI to reach its full transformative potential.