In an Op-Ed for The Washington Times, Allied Nuclear’s Robert McFarlane joined Atlantic Council fellow Matthew R. Couch to warn about what the recent failure of Texas’ power grid reveals about competition with China in world energy markets.
In an increasingly fragile world, nuclear power is “the only realistic solution” in meeting the world’s growing demand for durable, affordable and clean energy, explained McFarlane and Couch. Unfortunately, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is taking advantage of developing countries by using energy infrastructure projects to undermine their energy security and national sovereignty.
“The dual lessons of the coronavirus pandemic and the grid’s failure have shown the folly of dependence on the PRC and the criticality of safe, reliable, electrical supply for stability around the globe,” McFarlane and Couch said. “It is imperative that the United States and allies provide an alternative for energy supply to the developing world.”
McFarlane and Couch urged the U.S. government to counter growing Chinese influence by providing guidance on forming public-private partnerships to construct advanced and small modular reactors in allied and friendly countries. An immediate private sector-led energy strategy can be established between the U.S., the U.K. and Japan to leverage the alliances of 5 Eyes, NATO and the 3 Seas Initiative, the OpEd said.
“The president should introduce a private sector-led global energy strategy that addresses concerns about de-carbonization while re-establishing America as the 21st-century leader in clean infrastructure development,” wrote McFarlane and Couch.
