Tesla CEO Elon Musk called for Europe to increase its nuclear energy production by restarting dormant nuclear power stations on Monday, as Western government grapple with how they will potentially replace Russian energy exports in the event of a sweeping embargo on the country’s oil.
“Hopefully, it is now extremely obvious that Europe should restart dormant nuclear power stations and increase power output of existing ones. This is *critical* to national and international security,” Musk tweeted.
Anticipating concerns over radiation, Musk asked Twitter users to tell him where they believed was the “worst location” for radiation and said he would “travel there & eat locally grown food on TV.”
“I did this in Japan many years ago, shortly after Fukushima. Radiation risk is much, much lower than most people believe,” he said.
Musk, whose car company Tesla is one of the largest electric vehicle manufacturers in the world, called for the U.S. to increase its oil and gas production last week as well, saying it was necessary in the light of “extraordinary times.”
“Hate to say it, but we need to increase oil & gas output immediately. Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures,” the tech magnate wrote on Twitter.
A potential ban on Russian oil imports has received bipartisan support from lawmakers in Congress. The White House has said that a ban is still on the table, but that move is being coordinated with European allies.