Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo, urging the country to ramp up electricity generation to support the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence.

“Energy is essential for all industrial growth,” Huang said after the meeting, emphasizing the need for new infrastructure to power the data centers and systems driving AI advancements.

Huang praised Japan’s longstanding expertise in robotics and manufacturing, saying it positions the country to play a leading role in AI development. But he cautioned that such leadership must be backed by reliable energy supply.

Japan is currently grappling with how to meet rising electricity needs, including potential decisions about restarting nuclear reactors shuttered after the 2011 Fukushima disaster and increasing imports of expensive fossil fuels.

Prime Minister Ishiba recently signaled interest in investing in a $44 billion liquefied natural gas project in Alaska as part of broader trade negotiations with the U.S.

Huang also pointed to AI’s potential to transform key sectors such as healthcare, education, and agriculture. Yet as the International Energy Agency warns, the rapid expansion of AI-powered data centers is poised to drive the fastest growth in electricity demand seen in years.