Tag Archives: General Atlantic

I saw a message from Semafor. It reminded me of a story that ran the news two years ago. That isn’t always a bad idea, so I checked it out. It gives me ‘ADNOC still sees a long future for oil’ (at https://www.semafor.com/article/11/04/2025/abu-dhabi-reverses-course-on-oil-phaseout) it gives me that ADNOC (the Emirati equivalent of Aramco) gave us (two years ago) “When Al-Jaber took the podium again on Monday to host ADIPEC, the world’s biggest energy conference, he emphasized that “the long-term outlook shows demand growth for every form of energy” and that oil demand will stay at or above its current level well after 2040. A number of other oil CEOs seem to share that view.” I concur and as I see the the AI disaster coming to all our doors, there is no way it can even get the waves it needs to have without oil and there is no denying that it might last until 2040, perhaps even 2050. There was more they gave “One explanation Al-Jaber cited for the switch is AI data centers, which have become Big Oil’s go-to justification for a rapid buildout of new fossil infrastructure. Lord John Browne, former CEO of BP and now managing director of a climate-focused fund at the private equity firm General Atlantic, offered another explanation: The conference, he told me by phone from Abu Dhabi, “was dominated by the American viewpoint, which is that there is no such thing as the energy transition.” The UAE, in addition to bolstering its own voluminous oil and gas production, has good reason to court the Trump administration: On the sidelines of ADIPEC, Microsoft announced it would invest $15 billion in data centers there and that it has secured the administration’s permission to export Nvidia chips for them.” A small smirk appeared on my face. I had seen the Nvidia chips to the UAE, but the side quest that that Microsoft would be investing to set up a data centre there was somehow kept quiet. But it was the last section that caught me. With “There’s still strong momentum for investing in decarbonization, Browne said. But whether, in the near term, the global oil market is in for a period of expansion or contraction, he said, “is about as clear as mud to everybody.”” I agree, there are counter actions happening. The Trump anti-renewable setting is one of them. Then there is the almost ludicrous setting of essential nuclear reactors that American needs within 3 years is another one. There are plans for several reactors, but they are the better part of 5-8 years away and that gives America an optional shortage for 3-5 years. As such AI centers will not (or mostly not) be in some operation setting, then there are the lack of data validation stations and that is merely the top of the iceberg. 

As I see it, Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber was correct and he was so already in 2022 before I started writing about AI (as it is still a myth) and it is re-enforces by ‘Energy CEOs Warn More Investment Is Needed As Demand Continues To Rise’ by Forbes (at https://www.forbes.com/sites/gauravsharma/2025/11/03/energy-ceos-warn-more-investment-is-needed-as-demand-continues-to-rise/) where we are also given “The bosses of some of the world’s largest energy companies warned the sector needs to invest more in a range of sources, including oil and natural gas, as global power demand continues to rise. Speaking at the ADIPEC conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Monday, Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Group CEO of ADNOC, Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas major, said a “balanced and inclusive approach” was needed to meet the world’s growing energy demand.” A story I have been giving for almost a year, but the setting is that Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber gave us that view two years ago and that makes him the clear insightful voice in a pool of blundering blind people, which I have been illuminating over the last few months. OK, it is not that hardy. There are a few more warning the world of the fact that this will not happen without energy settings and they are massively lacking at present. As I see it, the only country that is ready for this is Canada, the merely have the sent 10% to America and keep the rest and they are fine, Americans might not like this and I reckon that Virginia with their 663 data centers will see almost 60% go out of business due to a lack of power, but that is business for you. That is when a small snippet given to us all by the Sultan becomes apparent “That’s why more than $4 trillion in capital investment is needed annually to cover grids, datacenters and all sources of energy supply, Al Jaber said.” And it suddenly hits me, America doesn’t have the funds. All the boasting and the settings of StarGate and America is out of funds. Was it that obvious that it needed Canada as the 51st state? Not merely because of the rare earths, but the water and electricity would be essential to keep the lights on in America?

Which comes with the final wisdom by the Sultan. And it is seen in “Al Jaber added that “dormant capital” tied up in existing energy infrastructure needs to be freed up.

“Ultimately, the long-term outlook shows demand growth for every form of energy across every market,” he noted. So, when it comes to the energy transition, growing power demand and managing the trilemma of sustainability, security and affordability, Al Jaber called for a “focus on the data, and not the drama.”” That is a worthy quote to keep in all out minds “focus on the data, and not the drama”, as I see it, my new hero. A quote that is worthy to enclose in our hearts. I could never have said it better. I would have gone with “Drama is found where data is ignored”, that is how I am at times, but I reckon that is why I am not the board member and CEO of ADNOC, and the Sultan is. OK, ADNOC was never in the Netherlands, but Shell was and I never amounted to anything there either. So there is that to consider. But the largest setting is that Semafor alerted me to something that was said two years ago and now that is becoming the reality of today and we need to take notice, because it seems to be painting the walls of several nations and it because we let the drama overwhelm most of us. The others (like me) who focussed on the data mostly saw the setting and we are now less and less being drowned out be media as they are waking up to the reality that is about to hit their front doors and their party ended last year, now they either adjust or become obsolete, because the millions of consumers of that media are waking up to the fact that they are entering a nightmare where they can no longer afford to watch TV or charge their mobile phones. That is the price of seeing the price of 16.07¢ per kWh be adjusted to 82.27¢ per kWh, which basically sets the price to almost 100% above the price of electricity on Hawaii, but when that becomes the national norm, 340,000,000 Americans will oppose it (to put it mildly), revolt is the most likely operational setting and there is no way out for this Administration. They made their bed with lousy decisions and I reckon that they will need an escape clause to a place like Argentina soon enough after that. 

So as we see this fiasco evolve, it seems that I was right all along, but someone was there earlier, they saw the setting that was going to be and now as more and more Americans realise that the party is closing, they will need a new directive and they need it sooner rather than later. 

Have a great day, and remember, we got by with candles and their illumination. From that we got the 3 hour rule, which advises against burning a candle for more than 3 #hours at a time for all kins of security reasons. Well, in winter you are a bit stuffed, but open fires will light the way and I just remembered that I have over a dozen books to read. It would become a good time to do so.