The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping not just technology, but also geopolitics and infrastructure. At the core of this transformation lies a silent player—electricity. The processing power behind AI models demands immense electrical input, turning national power strategies into strategic assets. Countries across the globe are reevaluating how they produce, distribute, and manage electricity to meet the needs of AI-driven economies. This article dives deep into four case studies—France, United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Ireland—to show how diverse energy strategies are being tailored to support AI expansion.

France: Betting Big on Nuclear
France is uniquely positioned with its vast nuclear energy network, producing over two-thirds of its electricity through nuclear power. In February 2025, the country unveiled a €109 billion infrastructure plan aimed at anchoring AI development with predictable, carbon-free energy. The initiative promotes reliability and surplus energy export, attracting data center investments like Fluidstack’s €10 billion nuclear-powered facility. With plans for six new reactors, France is leveraging its nuclear heritage to ensure AI isn’t constrained by electricity shortages.

UAE: Powering Through the Desert
With extreme temperatures and geopolitical pressures, the UAE faces unique challenges. Yet it’s turning its energy wealth—gas, solar, and nuclear—into an AI advantage. Major players like Microsoft and G42 are committing to data centers, and the UAE is betting on both domestic scale-up and foreign investments, such as the €50 billion initiative in France. However, cooling costs and export limitations due to chip restrictions are hurdles the Emirates must navigate.

Japan: A Pragmatic Pivot
Still recovering from the Fukushima disaster, Japan is cautiously embracing nuclear restarts as part of its AI readiness plan. By reactivating dormant reactors and investing in renewables, Japan aims to double its renewable capacity by 2040. With cities like Kyoto and Kyushu becoming testbeds for data centers near nuclear infrastructure, Japan is blending tradition with innovation, creating one of the world’s most adaptive energy strategies for AI scalability.

Ireland: Regulating the Boom
In Ireland, data centers already consume over 20% of the national grid’s output. The government is now setting policies like the “bring your own generation” rule, requiring new centers to provide self-generated or stored power. Ireland is also pushing offshore wind to balance its growing AI infrastructure needs. This approach underscores the importance of aligning environmental sustainability with digital growth.

Ultimately, electricity strategies are becoming as important as AI model development. Countries that recognize the long-term infrastructure needs of computation will be better positioned to lead. This blog post, for example, was crafted and published by Roblogger — an AI tool that automates blog creation from content to image, all inside ChatGPT. To see more posts or create your own, visit prompt-master.org/blog.