Geopolitics, Nuclear Energy, and Artificial Intelligence: Charting the UK’s Energy Security Path
June 27, 2025 - Written by Vira Veselukha
Introduction
The United Kingdom is entering a decisive phase in redefining its energy security, with intensifying geopolitical uncertainty and accelerating climate obligations, the stakes have never been higher. Energy security, understood as the reliable, affordable, and sustainable provision of energy now reinforces not only the country’s economic resilience and security but also its strategic autonomy. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, volatility in global gas markets, and the UK's post-Brexit trade realignment have exposed longstanding structural vulnerabilities. Simultaneously, the UK's net-zero commitment by 2050 has placed its ageing infrastructure under increasing pressure to decarbonise without compromising its reliability. In this environment, two technological domains are emerging as pivotal: nuclear power, and artificial intelligence. Nuclear energy promises low-carbon baseload electricity and energy sovereignty, whilst AI offers new capabilities for forecasting, grid optimisation, infrastructure resilience, and cybersecurity.
The UK’s Energy Security Landscape
In 2024, the UK energy mix reached a turning point, for the first time, renewable energy sources made up 50% of the electricity generated, with offshore wind comprising the largest share. With offshore installations continuing to expand and the onshore wind ban being lifted by Ed Miliband in the summer of 2024, the industry will continue to grow. Nuclear contributed 14% of generation , while natural gas remained the dominant individual source. Domestic production, however, is no longer sufficient, over 50% of gas is imported, with Norway providing the majority for this, and US and Qatari LNG shipments covering seasonal demand.
This dependency renders the UK vulnerable to both price and supply shocks. The global fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, clearly illustrated how quickly an external conflict can destabilise domestic energy affordability. Although the UK was less directly reliant on Russian gas than its European counterparts, it was not immune to the increased import prices, primarily caused by sanctions and Europe’s scramble for alternative sources of energy. Brexit introduced additional friction, the UK’s departure from the EU in 2016, internal energy market and the Euratom treaty necessitated new bilateral arrangements for electricity trading and nuclear oversight. Whilst, electricity interconnectors with EU countries continued to operate under less efficient systems, regulatory divergence and reduced influence over EU climate instruments, such as the carbon market, have the potential to further complicate energy diplomacy.
To mitigate these exposures, the UK government has launched a suite of policies, most notably the Powering Up Britain strategy, the British Energy Security Strategy, The Planning and Infrastructure Bill and most recently Great British Energy being established on 15th of May, these outline ambitious goals: doubling electricity generation capacity by the late 2030s, decarbonising the grid by 2035, accelerating the delivery of renewable energy projects by removing bureaucratic roadblocks and ending reliance on volatile fossil fuel imports. Yet infrastructure bottlenecks remain, grid connection delays for renewable projects, supply chain constraints, and underinvestment in firm capacity highlight the system's fragility. Energy security, once considered a technical matter, is now a geopolitical imperative.
Gas and electricity prices during the ‘energy crisis’ and beyond (Commons Library, 2025)
Nuclear Energy’s Strategic Role
Nuclear power has long formed a key pillar of UK energy planning, notably the UK was an early adopter of civilian nuclear technology, and by the late 20th century, nuclear power contributed nearly 25% of the electricity supply. However, inaction, political hesitancy, and financial constraints led to a slow decline, consequently as of 2025, the fleet is aging rapidly, without intervention, all but one of the UK’s reactors are due to retire by the end of the decade. To tackle this decline, the UK is now pursuing a dual-track strategy: large-scale projects and next-generation Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Hinkley Point C, the country’s first new nuclear station in over two decades is projected to provide 7% of national electricity when it comes online, though it has faced significant cost overruns and delays. Additionally, Sizewell C, a clone of Hinkley, has entered the financing and permitting stage with strong government backing, including a 50% public equity stake.
In parallel, the government has created Great British Nuclear to coordinate SMR development. Rolls-Royce has been selected to build three SMR’ sites across the UK that can be deployed faster and at lower cost. SMRs promise significant potential to supply industrial clusters, desalination plants, or even data centres. If successful, the UK aims to scale its nuclear fleet to 24 GW by 2050, roughly a quarter of projected electricity demand. The geopolitical significance of nuclear energy lies not only in supply security but also in strategic alignment. The UK has moved to decouple from Chinese involvement in nuclear infrastructure, emitting China General Nuclear from key projects, this signals a pivot towards partnerships with France, the US, and Japan, not just for safety and finance, but to ensure supply chain integrity and technological sovereignty.
Yet challenges remain, nuclear waste management is at a critical juncture. In 2024, Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) identified three areas of focus for in-depth geological investigation: Mid Copeland and South Copeland in Cumbria, and East Lincolnshire. While these areas were selected based on geological, environmental, and logistical criteria, no final decision has been made, and construction will only proceed with community consent and regulatory approval. The UK still lacks an operational deep geological repository, the internationally recognised standard for safely disposing of high-level radioactive waste, and consequently until one is realised, long-term waste management remains a strategic vulnerability.
Financing also remains complex, The Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model has been introduced to attract investment, but concerns persist over public cost burdens. Meanwhile, nuclear must compete with increasingly agile and cost-competitive renewable technologies, bolstered by improving storage capacity. Despite these hurdles, nuclear remains indispensable not only as a low-carbon energy source but also as a geopolitical asset that strengthens Britain’s strategic resilience.
Artificial Intelligence and Energy Infrastructure
AI is rapidly emerging as a force multiplier in the energy sector. It enhances forecasting, automates grid balancing, and enables predictive maintenance. At a time when renewable generation introduces volatility, AI offers the ability to dynamically manage demand, optimise power flows, and reduce curtailment. One key use is in smart grids, where AI predicts demand and supply fluctuations using data from sensors, weather models, and consumption patterns. This enables the grid to dispatch resources more efficiently, reducing the need for expensive backup capacity and companies such as National Grid ESO have already employed AI to improve solar and wind forecasts by 33% cutting operating costs and emissions.
In the nuclear sector, artificial intelligence is increasingly being integrated as a tool for operational resilience, safety assurance, and performance optimisation. AI-driven predictive maintenance systems are capable of identifying early-stage anomalies through real-time monitoring, allowing operators to address potential faults before they escalate into costly outages. Machine vision and robotics, underpinned by AI algorithms, are being trialled for remote inspection of high-radiation zones, reducing the need for human exposure in hazardous environments. The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation, in partnership with regulatory bodies in Canada and the United States, has issued guiding principles for the deployment of AI in high-stakes energy contexts, emphasising the enduring need for transparency, auditability, and human supervisory control.
However, AI also introduces a new layer of systemic risk, as energy systems become increasingly digitised and interdependent, the cybersecurity threat surface surges significantly. Whilst AI can bolster threat detection and response time, it simultaneously introduces vulnerabilities,
particularly through potential manipulation via adversarial inputs or data corruption. A compromised algorithm controlling critical infrastructure such as substations or grid management software could result in significant operational disruptions.
Furthermore, the backbone of AI deployment, including data centres, cloud computing environments, and edge processing nodes, is itself energy and resource intensive. As AI applications scale across sectors, their aggregate demand on electricity and cooling resources poses a paradox: the very tools intended to improve system efficiency may place additional strain on the energy system. Addressing this paradox has become a matter of strategic policy planning, particularly as energy efficiency and decarbonisation targets tighten and become more necessary rather than ambitious.
Internationally, the UK has sought to take a leading position in AI governance. The 2023 AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park established a multilateral framework for frontier AI oversight, with participation from the US, EU, and China, although the energy sector was not the sole focus, critical infrastructure resilience was a key theme during the summit. The UK’s leadership in both technical innovation and regulation gives it an opportunity to shape global standards in energy-AI convergence.
Geopolitical Dynamics and Future Outlook
Energy security in the 21st century is no longer about resource control alone, it is also about supply chain resilience, regulatory agility, and technological leadership. In this context, nuclear energy and AI are more than just infrastructure choices; they are essential instruments of statecraft and national security. The UK’s pivot towards nuclear reaffirms alliances with trusted democracies. US-UK collaboration on SMR design, Franco-British alignment on reactor delivery, and trilateral efforts with Japan on fuel supply chains reduce strategic exposure to adversarial influence. Simultaneously, the exclusion of Chinese capital from nuclear infrastructure highlights a broader decoupling in critical sectors. The UK also has strategic reasons to align with the US and EU on AI governance. The Bletchley Declaration and its planned successors place the UK at the heart of shaping norms for AI safety, particularly in high-risk applications like national infrastructure. This creates an opportunity to bridge transatlantic approaches and embed energy-specific considerations into broader AI treaties.
Domestically, public opinion on both nuclear and AI remains mixed. Nuclear faces legacy concerns over waste and accidents; AI raises questions about accountability, privacy, and displacement. Both technologies, if mishandled, could become politically toxic and thus maintaining transparency, public engagement, and robust regulation is critical.
If the UK successfully scales up nuclear power and becomes a hub of energy-focused AI innovation, it stands to gain strategically. One opportunity is superior energy independence by the 2030s, a combination of large scale renewables such as solar, nuclear, and smarter demand management could drastically reduce the need for imported gas or electricity. This would free the UK from external pressures in crisis times; for instance, it would be less affected by Middle East turbulence or gas disputes affecting continental Europe. An energy-secure UK is moreover a stronger ally, it can more confidently support sanctions as it did against Russia or take principled stands without fear of an energy squeeze or increased household electricity bills.
Furthermore, the UK could exercise "soft power" through energy expertise, by exporting SMR technology or providing consulting on AI-driven grid management, the UK can build influence in regions like Eastern Europe, Africa, or Southeast Asia where nations are seeking reliable clean energy. For example, if Rolls-Royce SMRs are deployed in Poland or the Philippines, British experts and companies would have long-term involvement in those energy systems, deepening diplomatic ties. Similarly, UK leadership in setting international AI standards, ensuring AI is used ethically and safely bolster its reputation as a forward-looking, responsible global actor. Economically, carving out roles in these high-tech sectors could boost UK innovation and productivity, translating to greater geopolitical clout, since national power often mirrors economic and technological strength. Domestically, a secure and affordable energy supply enabled by nuclear and AI can underpin the UK's industrial strategy by attracting investment in energy-intensive industries. Notably, there is a synergy between AI and energy here; the growth of AI and cloud computing is driving surging electricity demand for data centres, and UK tech leaders have argued that new nuclear plants will be needed to power AI data centres sustainably. The UK could turn this into an opportunity by assimilating its AI and nuclear strategies, for instance, dedicating a portion of nuclear output to ensuring data centres which are the backbone of the digital economy are low-carbon and secure. This would attract tech investment while further justifying nuclear expansion.
Key Players
EU: Despite Brexit, the UK remains tightly connected to Europe’s energy markets and policies. Multi-GW power interconnectors link Britain to EU neighbors, providing mutual backup: during the 2022 energy crisis the UK acted as an “energy bridge,” exporting LNG and power to replace lost Russian gas and even to support France when much of its nuclear fleet was offline. Ongoing UK–EU cooperation on grid trading, market rules and climate policy underpins resilience. For example, combined UK–EU ambitions (aligned under COP) on net-zero and linked carbon markets can lower costs for both. Bilaterally, France is a key partner: a 2023 UK–France nuclear statement reaffirmed that both “as leaders in the European civil nuclear field” will deepen cooperation.
US: Both Ministers, Ed Miliband and David Turk have formalised a UK–US nuclear partnership pooling R&D funding in line with COP goals. The UK “will take a leading role in facilitating information sharing on advanced nuclear technologies” with the US, and both sides aim to meet COP28’s target of tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050. Ed Miliband emphasised that the UK is “working closely with our allies” (like the US) to “unleash the potential of cutting-edge nuclear technology”, this includes collaborating on Small Modular Reactor (SMR) and Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) supply chains and even co-financing programme.
Conclusion
The energy security of the United Kingdom is being reshaped by structural, technological, and geopolitical forces, nuclear power and artificial intelligence are not just solutions to energy
challenges; they are pillars of a new strategic architecture. Nuclear offers reliable, low-carbon energy and strengthens geopolitical autonomy through supply chain realignment and allied cooperation. AI provides tools to enhance efficiency, grid resilience, and cybersecurity, while creating new domains of innovation and diplomacy. Combined, both position the UK to move from reactive crisis management to proactive energy security and steadfast resilience.
However, these technologies are not without risk. High costs, implementation delays, cybersecurity threats, and ethical uncertainties must all be navigated with precision. Success will require more than investment: it demands integrated policy, agile regulation, and international alignment. As global energy systems digitise and decarbonise, the UK has an opportunity to lead, by fusing nuclear reliability with AI agility, it can construct an energy future that is resilient, sustainable, sovereign, and strategically relevant in a contested world.