Al Gore on China’s Climate Lead and AI’s Energy Risk

Twenty-five years after Al Gore ran for president on a climate platform, he says the picture looks very different: China has surged ahead as the world’s clean-energy frontrunner even as U.S. policy oscillates. Gore and Lila Preston of Generation Investment Management released their ninth annual climate report, spotlighting China’s rapid buildout of renewables and the risks posed by recent U.S. rollbacks.

Gore calls China the emerging “electro state”: massive solar and nuclear-equivalent capacity additions, aggressive target-setting, and a shift from measuring carbon intensity to absolute reductions. He sees this as evidence that when governments listen to science and commit to infrastructure, change happens fast.

At the same time, the report warns of alarming U.S. moves: proposals to stop greenhouse-gas reporting for plants and refineries, policy flip-flops, and political capture by fossil interests. Gore stresses that hiding measurements won’t make the crisis disappear — measurement programs like Climate TRACE are filling gaps with near-real-time emission data.

Compute, AI, and a new energy equation

The report highlights a looming systems problem: a surge in electricity demand driven by massive AI data centers. Data-center energy use could at least double by 2030, and federal-level projects like the Stargate data-center initiative would add strain. But renewables plus storage and advanced geothermal can meet much of that growth if deployment is coordinated.

Gore and Preston warn about environmental justice when backup fossil generators or gas turbines are used in disadvantaged neighborhoods, such as reported cases in Memphis. The energy transition must avoid shifting burdens onto vulnerable communities.

Materials, mining, and space launches — trade-offs to manage

The rush for critical minerals to feed renewables and AI hardware raises valid concerns about mining impacts. Gore and Preston argue mining can be done responsibly with stronger standards and modern technologies like AI-driven prospecting to reduce surface disruption. They also note that impacts from battery and mineral extraction are tiny compared with continued fossil fuels.

Space launches get a mention too: while launches produce emissions, the value of Earth observation and climate monitoring from orbit outweighs those costs today — but regulation and carbon accounting should keep pace as the industry scales.

Bottom line and what to watch

Gore’s message is twofold: the energy transition is already accelerating globally, but timing matters — tipping points could make delays catastrophic. The geopolitical prize of clean-tech leadership has shifted, and smart policy, transparent measurement, and coordinated infrastructure investments will determine whether the next decade locks in a safer climate.

• Watch AI and data-center siting and procurement decisions for their grid and local health impacts
• Track Climate TRACE and other measurement tools as policy backstops when reporting is weakened
• Demand stronger, enforceable standards for sustainable mining and supply-chain transparency

QuarkyByte’s perspective: organizations that combine granular emissions measurement, systems-level energy planning, and community-sensitive siting decisions will win both public trust and long-term operational resilience. The tools exist to model trade-offs, prioritize clean baseload, and guide responsible procurement — the remaining gap is political will and execution speed.