Countries must seek energy independence through renewable resources and nuclear energy for their national security, and to avoid the “choke points” of fossil fuel supply, the former US secretary of state John Kerry has warned. The economic and national security impacts of the oil shock could do more to push the world quickly to clean energy than calls for climate action have done, he suggested. Kerry also argued that countries should build new nuclear power plants, including “small modular reactors”, to satisfy the need for low-carbon power, including that of new AI datacentres. Both renewables and nuclear power could satisfy those needs, without needing fossil fuel backup, said Kerry, who is now co-executive chair at the investment company Galvanize Climate Solutions. One [AI] datacentre will need as much energy as a small city in various places and, and we need to meet those needs.

Source: The Guardian March 12, 2026 04:18 UTC