From Renewables Superpower to Stupid-Power:
History books will be written about how the world’s largest coal exporter placed a trillion dollar bet that it could lead the world away from coal, and how most of the world ignored it. Australia spent billions to close one lone coal plant while China built 50 new ones — partly so it could power the factories that Australia used to have.
Just when things were starting to go horribly wrong, the AI revolution arrived to make it worse.
Suddenly the world found itself in a race it could not afford to lose. The winner would have a force-multipler for every field of research, science, weapons, drugs, medicine, and encryption. But information is energy, and the AI need for reliable gigawatts is insatiable. Microsoft is so hungry for electricity, in one year it switched from building “the biggest renewable plant”, to reactivating the infamous Three Mile Island nuclear plant.
Australia is the last major coal producer on Earth on a suicidal mission to kill coal, which fits right in with being a uranium powerhouse in an anti-nuclear zone.
RSL Hall, 22 Leake Street, Belmont, WA 6104
Wednesday 25 February 2026, $15
Doors open: 6:15pm for a 7:00pm – 9:30pm
Includes pies, pizzas, sandwiches, coffee and cake. Drinks available at the bar.
Book at Ticketebo (Bookings close Tuesday.)
h/t David Maddison who’s been talking about Stupidpower.