AI and energy demand: aligning consumption growth with decarbonisation pathways

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the global electricity market, with projections pointing to a 165% rise in data centre power demand by 2030. This surge is being led by ‘hyperscalers’ – large tech companies building and operating data-intensive cloud infrastructure – whose energy requirements are stretching traditional planning models and grid capacity.  While AI is contributing to rising electricity demand, it also offers critical solutions to help manage it - enabling more accurate load forecasting, real-time grid optimisation, and smarter energy dispatch. Aligning rapid digital growth with decarbonisation goals will require targeted policy interventions, strategic investment in resilient infrastructure, and a coordinated approach to grid modernisation, as utilities and power companies work to adopt demand-side management tools and invest in cutting-edge facilities. To maintain momentum toward a sustainable future, the energy and technology sectors must collaborate closely to ensure that AI drives an era of resilience, energy security and inclusive growth.

Attendee insights:

Learn how hyperscalers, utilities and energy developers are using AI to manage rising electricity demand, strengthen grid resilience and advance decarbonisation goals.

Modernising digital foundations for scalable AI

To remain competitive and resilient in an evolving energy landscape, energy companies must take real action to revamp their digital foundations through implementing pragmatic transformation strategies. A robust, flexible and scalable digital core is essential to supporting the proliferation of rapidly advancing AI capabilities. From data infrastructure to selecting suitable AI models and building intelligent agents, leaders are moving beyond dialogue to demonstrate real solutions. Their approaches are rooted in inclusive collaboration and showcase how being realistic and ambitious can drive future success.

Attendee insights:

Gain insight into how leading executives are reconditioning their digital core to remain agile, scalable, and value-driven in the rapidly evolving energy sector.

Startup showcase

Emerging innovations that drive sustainability and efficiency will play a central role in enabling the energy sector to achieve prosperity, empower people and drive progress. With a track record of creating disruptive and ingenious solutions that facilitate advancements in renewable energy, storage and efficiency, startups are the lifeblood of such technological leaps – many of which are already changing the way international organisations approach the global transition. ADIPEC 2025 will provide a showcase for new ventures, shining a spotlight on innovations with the potential to reshape our industry as well as the resources and expertise necessary to bring them to market.

Attendee insights:

Learn more about the cutting-edge technologies being developed by innovative energy startups and explore how these solutions are likely to impact the future of our industry.

Innovative solutions for overcoming the AI skill gap in a competitive talent market

An informal panel-style session with panellists sat in a circle surrounded by the audience. After an initial conversation, led by a facilitator and the panellists, the audience will be invited to comment on and ask questions to the wider group.

A recent IEA report on the relationship between energy and AI found there are only 22,000 AI specialists globally across all industries, and 61% of large businesses surveyed in the US and UK, reported a lack of staff with sufficient AI experience. As a result, all industries are competing for a limited skill set. Many energy companies are approaching this challenge through the upskilling and retraining of their existing workforces, as well as implementing innovative new programming such as back-to-school initiatives. However, cost-effectively achieving this, at scale, while managing the increased power demand for all of the above is a challenge.

Attendee insights:

Learn through case studies and demonstrations how digital twin technology can be used to overcome challenges when it comes to implementing pre-emptive physical asset monitoring.

Enabling AI in the energy systems of tomorrow

AI has and will continue to revolutionise the energy sector, driving digitalisation and predictive capabilities. To maximise the increased efficiency and productivity AI and machine learning can deliver, open technology standards that foster greater data interoperability will be essential to overcome many of the cybersecurity and data management concerns. Organisations like the Trusted Energy Interoperability Alliance (TEIA) - which aims to create standards and agreed-upon formats and protocols for secure and interoperable data communications within the energy system—and the Open AI Energy Initiative (OAI) - an open ecosystem of AI-based solutions for the energy and process industries - are working toward this. To mitigate risks, businesses must standardise security formats, and compliance requirements for energy hardware and software, and develop internal AI specialists to deliver transformation at scale.

Attendee insights:

In this Action session, gain exclusive insights into the standards being developed by the TEIA and OAI and how they can be implemented by businesses to achieve an interoperable and trusted energy ecosystem.