The New Energy Frontier: How AI, Bitcoin, and Modular Reactors Are Rewriting the Rules of Power

At the beginning, there was energy—the raw force that set everything in motion. From energy came matter, which shaped the physical world, and from matter came information, the code that governs life and the universe. This has always been the story: everything flows from energy.

We are on the verge of the next technological revolution, and at the center of this revolution lies the transformation of our production models. The industrial revolutions of the past were defined by specific technological innovations: steam power, electricity, computing. This time, the drivers are more abstract, yet their implications are no less profound. Three interlocking forces are reshaping the future: artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and the commodity that enables both—electricity.

The first driver is the rise of artificial intelligence. Companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta are positioning themselves at the forefront of this change. They are building ecosystems around algorithms, creating new markets that did not exist before. But what’s even more important is that AI demands enormous processing power. Training models like ChatGPT requires more than just code—it consumes vast amounts of energy. To put it in perspective, training a single AI model can use as much electricity as a small town. 1 GWh per day, the equivalent of 33,000 U.S. households, is what’s needed to keep ChatGPT running daily ? ?. AI is not just an abstract technology; it’s becoming the next great consumer of power.

This brings us to the second pillar: semiconductors. Companies like NVIDIA and Taiwan Semiconductor are not just building chips; they are building the infrastructure that will power the next wave of human progress. Without them, AI is impossible. The hunger for faster, more efficient processing has turned semiconductors into the new oil. Control over these resources has become a matter of economic security, geopolitical leverage, and strategic dominance.

Yet, semiconductors, no matter how powerful, are nothing without electricity. This is where the third force comes in. The demand for energy is not merely growing; it is accelerating exponentially. Bitcoin miners, for example, are among the most energy-hungry entities in the world. Companies like BitFarms, Hive Blockchain, and Riot Platforms collectively consume over 1 gigawatt (GW) of power globally ?. They are flocking to regions like Canada, Paraguay, and Argentina, not because of the people or markets, but because of one thing: cheap electricity.

Since 2020, the Nasdaq has moved in line with Cheniere Energy, Inc. (LNG), following the broader trend in natural gas. But as with any market, the real story is often found in the outliers. Companies like Cameco (CCJ), driven by the resurgence of uranium, semiconductors riding the wave of digital transformation, and AI giants reshaping industries have all outpaced the Nasdaq.

Yet, even among those strong performers, there are the mega winners—the ones that leave the rest behind. Bitcoin, Tesla (TSLA), and NVIDIA (NVDA) have soared far beyond, capturing the imagination and capital of investors who saw the future a little earlier than the rest.

But this is just the beginning. The energy revolution won’t be powered by traditional grids. It will be driven by modular nuclear reactors and decentralized energy production. These Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are the future—smaller, more flexible, and more distributed. They can be placed closer to data centers, Bitcoin mines, or factories, reducing reliance on vulnerable, centralized energy grids. Tech companies like Microsoft and Google are already exploring nuclear power contracts to fuel their AI ambitions, because the only way forward is through a guaranteed, stable energy supply.

And then there’s Tesla. It stands at the intersection of automated labor, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and now, energy storage and generation. Tesla isn’t just a car company; it’s the prototype for the future economy—a company designed to harness and store electricity, to turn it into value in ways that traditional energy companies can’t.

This brings us to the ultimate shift: Bitcoin. In a world where electricity is the most valuable commodity, Bitcoin represents a new kind of asset. It’s not tied to any physical resource like gold or oil. It’s tied to energy itself. As the production models of the future take shape, the very concept of value is being rewritten. Electricity, the force that powers everything, is now the foundation of both technological and financial systems.

We are witnessing the dawn of a new era, one where the struggle for electricity is as important as the struggle for oil was in the 20th century. We see Microsoft and Google securing nuclear power, Bitcoin miners chasing hydroelectric dams, and a broader decentralization of energy that will redefine how societies function. The most valuable commodity in the 21st century will be electricity—not just because of what it powers, but because it will underpin the entire infrastructure of the future.

Thanks for reading,?

Guillermo Valencia A

Cofounder of Macrowise

October 21st, 2024