Power Summit 2026: AI, security and the road to European electrification

Alexander Stubb, President of Finland

Kingsmill Bond, Energy Strategist astatine Ember

Rory Stewart, Co-host of The Rest is Politics

Jan Rosenow, Professor of Energy and Climate Policy astatine the University of Oxford

Oonagh Buckley, Secretary General of Ireland's Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment

Miguel G. Torreira, Global Lead for Commodity Markets astatine Accenture

Ralf Blumenthal, SVP Europe astatine Siemens Grid Software

Kristian Ruby, Secretary General astatine Eurelectric

Urs Pennanen, SVP of Corporate Customers astatine Fortum

Linda-Maria Wadman, CCO of Plexigrid

Talal Eskandar, Executive Managing Director astatine Reactive Technologies Limited

Mircea Stremtan, Sales Director astatine SentryOT

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ofda06szbqivphLRDkQAt

Europe's powerfulness premix is already heavy decarbonised, but cleanable energy isn't being taken up rapidly capable – particularly successful industry, wherever electrification economics are inactive uneven crossed regions.

"Europe has amongst the world's highest energy prices... and successful ample part, arsenic a effect of those precocious prices, we person had stagnant electrification successful Europe for a generation," says Bond.

"We fundamentally person the technologies to electrify; what we request is amended orchestration. We request a mindset displacement connected the broadside of the industrials," says Ruby.

The speech connected information has widened from substance dependency to thing much strategic: sovereignty, concern autonomy, and resilience successful a satellite wherever alliances and proviso chains can't beryllium taken for granted. At the aforesaid time, leaders pass that hostile enactment against vigor infrastructure is nary longer hypothetical – hybrid threats are already playing retired crossed Europe.

"Energy is present progressively astir sovereignty. We've thought astir it evidently successful presumption of Russia, and successful presumption of China… but we present person to progressively deliberation astir it successful narration to the United States. What we've discovered is that we person created each these dependencies," says Stewart.

"The accelerated inclination successful digitalisation, together, with the geopolitical discourse of today, raises precocious threats of cybersecurity connected vigor infrastructure," says Stremtan.

AI is simply a double-edged sword for the powerfulness industry: it is burdening grids with exponential request but besides promises optimisation crossed the powerfulness worth chain. So, is AI a bigger menace oregon accidental for the sector?

"Every 4th we inquire much than 3,600 executives astir the satellite what they deliberation astir this topic… and present is what they are telling us. First, concern successful AI is so real. More than 80% of executives corroborate that, and it's really growing. Second, AI is becoming overmuch much an concern and a stake connected maturation than really a outgo rate, much than oregon astir 80% of executives spot AI arsenic much beneficial to gross than cost. So the concern is real, and the absorption of question is clear," says Torreira.

Hosting this year's acme successful Finland is an accidental to spotlight the Nordic vigor transition. We asked what lessons the remainder of Europe tin larn from them.

"A accordant operating situation is precise important... We've been decarbonising energy accumulation and procreation successful the Nordics and successful Finland implicit the decades. We didn't bash it successful the past 2 years; we've done it successful the past 50 years," says Pennanen.

"We person been precise aboriginal with digitalisation... and this is truly the instauration that it builds upon," says Wadman.

President Stubb said: "There's a truly anserine saying successful the Finnish language, and that is that a pessimist volition ne'er beryllium disappointed. I privation to crook that astir – that an optimist volition unrecorded a hellhole of a batch much amusive life."

https://open.spotify.com/show/4bMCcRekF2WTTQMSTGjVRX

Electrify your listening with play episodes discussing the latest and top developments crossed the power, lipid and state and mining sectors. From powerfulness plants to pipelines to unfastened pits, our vigor journalists prime adept brains to recognize the industry-defining topics and cutting-edge technologies transforming operations and productivity. Powered by information and investigation from Power Technology's genitor company, GlobalData, the Energy Technology podcast is dripping successful manufacture insights.

Episodes spell unrecorded each Tuesday, 7AM EST (12PM GMT).

Listen to Energy Technology: Industry Insights connected Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, YouTube, oregon wherever you get your podcasts.

If you similar our podcast, marque definite to subscribe and beryllium notified of caller episodes each week. For speedy regular updates connected the industry, subscribe to our newsletters.

"Power Summit 2026: AI, information and the roadworthy to European electrification" was primitively created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.