Interior Minister Doug Burgum advocates increasing the use of fossil fuels to power advances in artificial intelligence, saying that losing to China in the AI race is the biggest “existent threat” to the United States at present. [emphasis, links added]
“We need more electricity to win the AI arms race against China.” Burgum said stressing the government's position to gain more base load power at the Washington State World Economic Summit in Sembourg on Friday
Burgum said that if past government strategies will focus on accelerated broadcasting strategies on fossil fuels, such as coal and renewable energy, the U.S. has the potential to keep China moving forward with AI.
He said the pursuit of clean energy also puts Americans at a higher risk of grid failure, as renewable energy and battery storage technologies have not yet met growing energy demand.
Burgum says this is more risky than global warmingthis is aided by carbon and methane emissions traced back to the combustion of fossil fuels.
“A part of the stability again is the massive investment we make intermittently [energy]…In the same mistakes that Britain, Germany and others have about this idea… Around one premise, the greatest threat to exist in the world is the degree of temperature change [by] 2100,” Burgum said.
He continued: “When we face a real existential threat, maybe losing the AI arms race to China.”
Burgum said the “incredible regulatory regime” attempted to drive away the basic voltage created by fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas to support what he called “intermittent sources of massive tax subsidies.”
“This is the same mistake made by Germany. It is a mistake made by Britain.” Bogum said. “I mean, you're going to lose the steel industry, deindustrialize. In a world where we need electricity to win the AI Arms competition. In fact, our country continues to move along that path.”
Burgum responded to the president’s opposition to renewable energy such as wind and solar on Friday, but insisted that the White House did not show “any hostility” towards renewable energy.
However, Burgum acknowledges that there is “hostility” or concern about whether the U.S. subsidies for U.S. intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar.
“The wind doesn’t blow 24 hours a day, and the sun doesn’t shine 24 hours a day,” Burgum said.
Top photo of Yuriy Vertikov on Unsplash
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