The Energy Economics of Artificial Intelligence in a Fractured Global System

This Opinion was originaly published on kalam.chathamhouse.org Morocco’s environmental governance rests on a comprehensive constitutional and legal architecture that establishes the right to a healthy environment as a fundamental right. The 2011 Constitution obliges the state to ensure equal access to water, a healthy environment, and sustainable development while also requiring the protection of natural resources and future generations, and guaranteeing equal environmental rig ...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly emerging as both an energy optimizer and a structural source of energy demand. While AI promises efficiency gains in forecasting, grid management, and emissions reduction, its expansion is already reshaping electricity systems: data center consumption could more than double by 2030. Beyond this techno-economic duality lies a deeper challenge: the sovereignty of digital and energy systems. AI rests on highly concentrated supply chains of chips, ...

During my mid-2025 visit to Morocco my second trip to the country that year I experienced a distinct and powerful shift in momentum. The Global Growth Congress, where I had the honour of speaking on “Africa’s Energy Future: From Potential to Power,” transcended the usual conference format; it felt like a turning point. The event reflected a growing acknowledgment that Africa’s role in the global energy landscape is no longer peripheral but central. The stakes have been raised, the c ...

I have been traveling to Morocco regularly—at least twice a year—for many years. But this time, the atmosphere in Rabat felt markedly different. I had the honor of addressing the Global Growth Congress, where I spoke on a topic that is rapidly becoming one of the most consequential issues of our time: Africa’s Energy Future: From Potential to Power.We were not merely discussing electrons and megawatts. We were dissecting sovereignty, resilience, global competition, and the future of ...