New York, NY, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jim Rickards, a former CIA advisor, warns that the United States is falling behind in what he calls “the new arms race of energy dominance.” As global superpowers compete for control over the most critical resource of the 21st century—electricity—Rickards believes the U.S. is dangerously unprepared to meet the surging energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI), national security, and financial markets.
"We are now entering a new kind of war, one not fought with missiles or soldiers, but with energy," Rickards states. "And right now, America is losing".
How AI Is Pushing the U.S. Power Grid to Its Limits
With the rise of AI, quantum computing, and cryptocurrency, energy demand in the U.S. is exploding at an unsustainable pace. "AI is already consuming more power than entire U.S. states, and demand is projected to skyrocket beyond anything we’ve ever seen". Rickards warns that the national grid is not built to handle this exponential growth, meaning that in just a few years, AI innovation in America could slow—or even grind to a halt—simply because there won’t be enough electricity to support it.
Countries like China and Russia are already securing long-term energy reserves to ensure they stay ahead in AI and digital economies. Meanwhile, parts of the U.S. are already seeing restrictions. "In London, data center expansion has been halted until 2035 because the power grid is maxed out. This is happening in America, too, and no one is talking about it".
The National Security Threat No One Sees Coming
Rickards highlights that energy dominance is no longer just an economic issue—it’s a national security imperative."What happens when America’s intelligence agencies, defense systems, and high-tech military projects don’t have the energy they need to function at full capacity?". He warns that if energy shortages continue, the U.S. military’s AI-powered defense systems could be rendered ineffective, leaving the nation vulnerable to cyberattacks and foreign threats.
The Last, Best Hope: A New Era of American Energy
Rickards believes that America’s best—and possibly only—chance to secure its technological and national security future is through Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), also known as 'Nuclear 2.0.'
"Unlike outdated nuclear plants, SMRs are fast to deploy, scalable, and built for modern energy needs," Rickards explains. "They are the only viable solution that can meet AI's demands while keeping America energy independent".
These next-generation nuclear reactors require minimal land, produce virtually no emissions, and can generate continuous power for decades. Their compact design means they can be strategically placed across the country to fortify critical infrastructure, military installations, and technology hubs.
"Energy is the new battlefield, and America needs to act now if it wants to remain a superpower", Rickards warns. "Otherwise, we risk ceding control of the future to those who have already prepared for this war".
About Jim Rickards
Jim Rickards is a former advisor to the White House, CIA, Pentagon, and the Department of Defense, with over 40 years of experience in global finance and intelligence. He is the bestselling author of seven books on economics, a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, and Fox News, and is known for accurately predicting major geopolitical and financial events. His work has taken him "inside the private West Wing of the White House," where he has "attended strategic sessions in the 'Vaults' deep inside the Pentagon".
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